Stories for October 2011

Monday, October 31

Kayden Hinson, 5, kept a smile on her pink lips as she waited for her family to catch up on Yampa Avenue.
The best parts about Halloween, Hinson said, were getting to wear her grandmother’s lipstick and her mother’s eye shadow.

Fundraising efforts are underway to assist a Craig infant who is being treated for Noonan syndrome, a congenital disorder that affects one in 2,500 children.
Robbie Satterwhite was diagnosed at birth with the disorder.
Treatment of the illness focuses on controlling symptoms and complications that include heart defect, short stature, learning problems, abnormal bone growth in the chest and ribs, and impaired blood clotting, among others.

Unofficial voting results from today’s Moffat County election are now in, and voters have elected three Moffat County School Board members and voted against Proposition 103. A few ballots still have to be counted, according to the Moffat County Elections Department.

As Rene Molina came down the final stretch of the 4A state cross-country course Saturday at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, his face told the story of his final 5,000-meter race.
Mouth open so he could scream out the pain and eyes squinting as he ran toward the sun, Rene, a Moffat County High School senior, gave one last push as he passed runners on his way to the finish line.
Rene clocked in at 17 minutes and 55.37 seconds to finish 62nd out of 187 runners in his final race as a Bulldog.

The federal government has awarded fast track designation status for a proposed power line project expected to pass through Moffat County.
TransWest Express announced Oct. 5 that its 600 kV, 725-mile direct current transmission line project is one of seven picked by the “Rapid Response Team for Transmission” to accelerate and coordinate permitting processes.
The RRTT is led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Providing people in Northwest Colorado with good service on their real estate transactions is something the staff of Brass Key Realty, 840 W. Victory Way, does regularly, but it never hurts to get an acknowledgment of how their talents are appreciated.
Brass Key broker Otis Lyons recently received the Land Realtor of the Year award from the Colorado Chapter 5 Realtors Land Institute.

SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. (AP) — When winter's white mixes with autumn's orange and gold, nature gets ugly.
A freak October nor'easter knocked out power to more than 3 million homes and businesses across the Northeast on Sunday in large part because leaves still on the trees caught more snow, overloading branches that snapped and wreaked havoc. Close to 2 feet of snow fell in some areas over the weekend, and it was particularly wet and heavy, making the storm even more damaging.
"You just have absolute tree carnage with this heavy snow just straining the branches," said National Weather Service spokesman Chris Vaccaro.

(AP) — The nation's only statewide tax vote on the November ballot asks Colorado voters whether they want to temporarily raise taxes to generate $3 billion for classrooms and colleges — a proposal that has stirred fierce opposition because of the stagnant economy.
The vote could serve as a test of voters' mood on tax increases and their frustration after endless rounds of education cuts in Colorado.
"If it should pass, it think it will get a fair amount of attention because no one is expecting anything with the words 'tax increase' to pass," said Norman Provizer, a political science professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver.

(AP) — Tim Tebow wasn't on one knee in prayer this time. He was on the ground in misery.
The Detroit Lions (6-2) sacked Tebow seven times and turned his two turnovers into touchdowns as they snapped a two-game skid with a 45-10 victory over the Denver Broncos.
Matthew Stafford hardly showed any ill effects from a sprained right ankle sustained a week earlier, throwing for three touchdowns before leaving with a clean jersey in the fourth quarter.

Noon. Al-Anon, a group for friends and family members of alcoholics, meets at First Congregational Church, 630 Green St. Call Lois at 824-4147.
12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Apostolic Lighthouse Church, 3107 W. First St., hosts Moms’ Monday. Local mothers can bring their children and lunch to the church to enjoy fellowship while children play. Call 824-2496 or 629-0176.
4 to 6 p.m. Halloween trick-or-treating is at downtown businesses; Centennial Mall, 1111 W. Victory Way; Sandrock Ridge Care & Rehab, 943 W. Eighth Drive; and Pankey’s BBQ, 1740 E. U.S. Highway 40.

You've learned some valuable lessons in the past and you won't repeat the same mistakes in the coming year, so you are now ready to move on to more advanced assignments. Make the most of what is handed to you.

Sunday, October 30

With his nearest competition 7 seconds behind, Alfredo Lebron raised both arms and held up one finger on each hand as he ran through the finish line Saturday.
The Moffat County High School senior wasn’t smiling, rather catching his breath and being congratulated by everyone nearby.
Lebron crossed the finish line in 16 minutes and 24.87 seconds Saturday at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds to win the 4A state cross-country individual championship for Moffat County.

The Little Snake River Valley School’s six-man varsity football team exploded for three touchdowns in the last six minutes of the first quarter of Friday’s opening round of the 1A state playoffs against Hulett, winning easily, 72-13.
The visiting Red Devils were never able to stop the Rattlers, who scored on all of their offensive possessions through the first three quarters.

Saturday, October 29

From broken bones to heart attacks, Dr. Jon Ossen treated just about anything that came through the door during his seven years as family practitioner in Craig.
“You do everything,” he said. “You take care of your patients from the cradle to the grave.”
Ossen, who still practices in Craig, left family medicine in November 2005 to pursue his longtime interest in emergency medicine.

It can’t be that Halloween is here already, but here it is and the snow to go along with it. It’s fun to make Halloween goodies with kids, and so I found two recipes in my file that are fun to make and quick, too.
Chow mein noodles can be used to make treats for all kinds of occasions. I’ve used them to make haystacks and bird nests. This week’s two recipes are used in making spiders.

Each year when Halloween rolls around, I think about those years when my siblings and I were growing up at the family ranch on Morapos Creek.
Surprisingly, I remember the weather on Halloween night to be crisp and clear, though it undoubtedly had snowed earlier in the month. I remember the crunch of fallen leaves as we were out and about.
Whatever the weather was like, we looked forward to the holiday. We girls can’t remember wearing Halloween costumes to school.

On the first drive of the night Friday at the Bulldog Proving Grounds, quarterback Bubba Ivers took the snap, ran to the left side and cut up field for a 20-yard touchdown run.
Execution, Ivers said, helped the Moffat County High School varsity football team get back on track and win their home finale over Eagle Valley High School, 52-28.
“Our linemen stayed on blocks, our running backs ran through holes and we were able to break some tackles,” Ivers, a MCHS junior, said. “We executed well all night long and were able to move the ball most of the night.”

At 10:30 a.m. today at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, Alfredo Lebron will be lined up for the 4A state cross-country meet.
In a sport that involves running for just over 3 miles, Lebron won’t be stretching his legs as much as he will be stretching his arms.
“I think your arms are a big factor in your stride,” the Moffat County High School senior said. “When you are striding your legs, your arms come into play and you need to be ready for that.”

All season long, the strength of the Moffat County High School girls varsity cross-country team has been the ability of the runners to push each other to top finishes.
After taking third in the 4A Region 5 meet Oct. 19 in Delta, the girls will have one more opportunity to help each other finish the season strong today during the 4A state meet at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds.
Seniors Kelly Ciesco and Katharine Keiss, juniors Eryn Leonard, Bailey Hellander, Sassy Murray and Savannah Williams, and freshman Aubrey Campbell will represent the Bulldogs.

U.S. Reps. Scott Tipton and Cory Gardner sat down Monday with Postmaster General Pat Donahoe to discuss the U.S. Postal Service’s consideration of branch closures.
Tipton and Gardner reiterated problems the closures would create for Colorado rural businesses and communities. They also asked Donahoe to keep possible alternatives in mind.
After the meeting, Tipton and Gardner issued the following statement:

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols thrust both arms high in the air, even before he reached home plate.
It was only the first inning, and already it felt as if the St. Louis Cardinals were home free. Because after they had overcome so much just to get this far, what could stop them?
The Cardinals won a remarkable World Series they weren't even supposed to reach, beating the Texas Rangers 6-2 in Game 7 on Friday night with another key hit by hometown star David Freese and six gutty innings from Chris Carpenter.

(AP) — Scores of people waved tiny flags after taking the oath of U.S. citizenship at the foot of the Statue of Liberty on Friday, 125 years after the iconic American symbol welcoming visitors and immigrants was dedicated.
"We are a nation of diverse people," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said during the naturalization ceremony on Liberty Island. "And that diversity strengthens our nation."

(AP) — Chris Harris never believed he wasn't supposed to be playing a pivotal role in the Denver Broncos secondary.
It didn't matter that it was training camp, Harris was an undrafted free rookie agent out of the University of Kansas and had no offseason to impress a new coaching staff. Harris felt he deserved more than the minimal practice repetitions he'd been getting.
"That dude," Broncos safety Rahim Moore said, "is one of the hungriest guys I've been around in my life."

I’ve got a mule deer hangin’ on my wall from northern New Mexico so I could relate to Rafael’s story.
He had joined two of his cousins for a deer hunting trip near Cuba, N.M., where his uncle had a cabin. They arrived late and missed the first day because cousin Dee Dee was going through changes in her life. To be fair, Dee Dee was a good hunter so her ditsy behavior was unexpected.

Your chart shows that in the year ahead you could now receive some well-deserved rewards and recognition where you've previously been taken for granted. A new you, who might be a pretty tough cookie, will start to emerge.

Friday, October 28

The last day of October can mean only one thing people plugged into the media world, and no, I don’t mean celebrating the birth date of John Candy, Jane Pauley and Vanilla Ice. Spending All Hallows Eve with a marathon viewing of horror movies while ignoring trick-or-treaters is a time-honored tradition for the couch potato crowd, but finding new scares year by year can be a tough task.

The Moffat County Tourism Association Board expressed its desire to move forward in its mission at a special meeting Wednesday.
The board approved signing a contract for new office space and discussed finalizing revisions to its memorandum of understanding with the Craig Chamber of Commerce, City of Craig and Moffat County.
“Sales and marketing is our mission. I want to do that. That’s the fun part,” board member Kerry Moe said.

A Shell Oil Company rig that had been delayed in operations and was sitting at the corner of Ranney and First streets is now onsite and drilling, a company spokeswoman said Thursday.
Carolyn Tucker, community relations representative for Shell, said Rig 94 has been drilling for a “couple of weeks now” off Colorado Highway 317, about a mile east of another Shell drilling operation atop Harper Hill near Hamilton.
Tucker said Rig 94 was stalled by the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Although the second game of the season has been pushed back, members of Craig Middle School’s boys basketball teams are ready to build on a strong beginning.
The seventh- and eighth-grade teams each had a positive outcome Saturday as they opened their seasons in Steamboat Springs. The eighth-grade A-team led the charge with a 39-32 win.
A-team starter Ben Robinson said the first half of the game almost dampened his team’s spirits.

The Moffat County School board voted unanimously Thursday to increase Superintendent Joe Petrone’s salary by 2.5 percent.
The increase, which is retroactive, brings Petrone’s total annual salary to $128,125.
The board designated July 1, 2011, or exactly two years after Petrone’s first day on the job, as the date the salary increase takes effect. The raise increases Petrone’s $125,000 salary by a little more than $3,000.

(AP) — Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey has watched Calvin Johnson's ascension to elite wide receiver status from afar.
On Sunday, he will get a firsthand look at the explosive Lions receiver for the first time since a 2007 matchup when Johnson was a raw but talented rookie.
"Back then he was a young pup," Bailey said. "He wasn't polished yet, but he's figured that thing out real fast. He has no issues now. He's using everything he has — size, strength, all his speed. You see all the different parts of his game coming out."

ST. LOUIS (AP) — By the time David Freese stomped on home plate Game 6 had already been stamped among the greatest thrillers in baseball history.
Twice down to their last strike, the St. Louis Cardinals somehow rallied.
And when Freese completed a startling series of comebacks with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to beat Texas 10-9 on Thursday night, fans all over got ready to enjoy something they hadn't seen in a long time: Game 7 of the World Series.
"You had to be here to believe it," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said.

(AP) — Colorado wildlife managers say the state's growing moose population could cause problems for drivers, especially during mating season.
Wildlife managers in Summit County say at least six moose have been involved in serious car accidents in the area this year.

A report from the American Cancer Society finds that a slower and later decline in breast cancer death rates among women in poor areas has resulted in a shift in the highest breast cancer death rates from women residing in more affluent areas to those in poor areas.
The authors point to screening rates as one potential factor.

To the editor:
I called upon Tunies & Such to move a large amount of clay out of my front yard and replace it with topsoil.
Owner Bob Meckley sent out three men, Billy, Paul and Eric, to take on the task. Hundreds of wheel barrels of dirt later the job was finished.

9 to 11 a.m. Playgroup for toddler/preschool-age children takes place at the Early Childhood Development Preschool at the Moffat County School District administrative building, 775 Yampa Ave. Call Carissa at 826-9742.
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Love in the Name of Christ distributes winter coats as part of the Community Coat Drive at at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Lutheran Church of Grace, 657 Green St. The limit is one coat per person per year. Call Love INC at 826-4400.

To the editor:
President Barack Obama has just made another end run around Congress.
Since the Republicans would not pass his jobs bill, the president said, “We can’t wait. If they won’t do it, I will.”

To the editor:
The Sagebrush Reading Council would like to thank those families who attended their local school’s Family Literacy Night.
The Family Literacy Nights not only shared Gary Johnston’s important message about the power of reading with parents, but the nights also created a great atmosphere of a family dinner.

Elks Lodge 1577 will host a Life Line Screening on Nov. 15.
The screenings help to identify potential cardiovascular conditions and assess risk for osteoporosis.
The five screenings are painless and take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete. Packages start at $149.

Certain knowledge gathered through personal experience in the next year will turn out to be extremely valuable. What you learn will broaden your perspective, help you in your goal selection and carry you far.

Thursday, October 27

As anyone who’s ever used a Xerox machine can attest, making a copy of a copy of a copy rarely results in something worthwhile.
Considering the agenda of the creature in “The Thing,” that lesson seems especially appropriate.
Columbia University paleontology graduate student Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has just been approached with a very unusual offer, of which she only knows two details: it involves traveling to Antarctica and it could change the face of the world. The high level of confidentiality alone is intriguing enough, leading her to accompany a Norwegian scientist (Ulrich Thomsen) to a site where something astonishing has been found by a research team.

Candy and costumes have lined store shelves for weeks in preparation for the hullabaloo of Halloween, when costumed children dash about to scarily decorated houses so they can get the goods.
It’s fun, but not nearly as thrilling as the fear-provoking tricks children inflict on each other — no adults allowed.
“See it?” Bob whispered as we stopped, held our breath, and searched the night with terrified eyes. “I tell you, it’s following us.”
It had started like any other summer walk home from Great Aunt Bertha’s, where we had spent the evening eating cookies and pumping her player piano.

Moffat County Commissioner Tom Mathers settled his debt Wednesday with the Moffat County Treasurer’s Office for unpaid property taxes totaling approximately $11,000.
Mathers was delinquent in payment on four undeveloped, commercial lots he and two partners own near the Colorado Highway 13 bypass.
“I’m a busy man,” Mathers said Wednesday. “I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire — personal, business and county-wise — which keeps me really, really busy.

On Senior Night at the Bulldog Proving Grounds, the Moffat County High School varsity football team may get the break it has been looking for.
After eight weeks of playing teams that were ranked or had been ranked in the top 10 at one point in the season, the Bulldogs host Eagle Valley High School at 7 p.m. Friday.

You don’t stop learning when you leave school, Craig residents Joel and Janet Sheridan told a group of Sunset Elementary School second-graders Wednesday.
The Sheridans described the skills they had to learn at every stage of life, from learning how to read and solve basic math problems to using new technology, like computers and cell phones.

Moffat County High School will host parent/teacher conferences from 4 to 7 p.m. today and Tuesday on the first and second floors of the school, 900 Finley Lane.
Parents can attend at any time during the conferences.

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A free Medicare workshop is in room 117 at Colorado Northwestern Community College’s Craig campus, 2801 W. Ninth St. The workshop is designed to help residents compare plans and make sure they have the right coverage. Take prescriptions. Call Betsy Packer at 819-6937.

There is likely to be a noticeable improvement in your social life in the year ahead, stemming from palling around with a new group of people while still doing things with your old group. Keeping busy will be good for you.

Wednesday, October 26

The Craig City Council introduced Tuesday night its proposed budget for 2012, which shows total funds increasing next year by 4.1 percent.
Bruce Nelson, Craig Finance Director, said the increase over 2011’s budget can be attributed to a number of factors including revenue from mineral leases and severance taxes that exceeded budget projections made about this time last year.
According to financial records, officials estimated the city would receive $553,000 in mineral lease money and $127,000 in severance taxes in 2011.

With marker in hand, Craig resident Steve Cattoor added his name to other signatures that covered the Energy for America bus parked outside the Moffat County Fairgrounds Pavilion on Tuesday night.
He was among about 60 residents who attended a rally at the Pavilion that accompanied the Energy for America bus tour’s stop in Craig.
Cattoor’s not squeamish about energy development or the potential impacts it could have on residents like him.

The move from Class 4A to 3A for Moffat County High School sports may hit a snag when the new student enrollment is revealed.
MCHS Athletic Director Jeff Simon said all Bulldog sports would move down a class starting next year while the football team would make the move to Class 2A.
The move is contingent upon MCHS having an enrollment below 601.

While the Little Snake River Valley’s six-man varsity football team seeks its second straight state title, the LSRV varsity volleyball team hopes to bring a state trophy of its own to Baggs, Wyo.
The Rattlers play in the first round of the Wyoming 1A state volleyball playoffs Thursday against Hulett High School in Casper, Wyo. The game is set to begin at 4:30 p.m.
Under second-year head coach Brianna Braun, the Rattlers are 24-7-3 heading into the tournament.

The Moffat County Commission unanimously approved Tuesday issuing letters in support of a hold on proposed Environmental Protection Agency air quality regulations.
The letters, dated Oct. 25, will be sent to President Barack Obama and Gov. John Hickenlooper.
The commission decided to issue the letters in response to comments made by Obama and Hickenlooper that increased EPA air quality regulations would put a financial burden on businesses during unsteady economic times.

TOWANDA, Pa. (AP) — Some small towns in the U.S. that are enjoying a boom in oil and gas drilling are seeing a rise in crime. And it's being blamed on an influx of young men with lots of money and nothing to do after they get off work.

(AP) — A winter storm was expected to bring up to 2 feet of snow to parts of Colorado's mountains as well as the first snow of the season for Denver.
The storm was expected to continue hitting the Front Range into Wednesday, and snow was already starting to fall in northern Colorado and near the Eisenhower Tunnel along Interstate 70 on Tuesday night.

Some years ago, when FM radio was more irreverent than it is now, WEBN in Cincinnati invented a company called Brute Force Cybernetics. In a series of comic advertisements, it promoted products such as the encephalographic printout device, which could record the insights of a dysfunctional brain.
The fictional company's motto: "We create a need, then fill it."
This is what Tim Tebow did Sunday, playing so uncertainly for three quarters that he created a need for the marvelous comeback he engineered in the fourth.

To the editor:
We are writing to express our gratitude for the extra time and attention put into this year’s Pumpkin Patch put on by Wyman Museum.
We are very lucky to live in a community that works hard to put such events together. We would like to thank Wyman Museum, the many volunteers who helped out and our generous community.

To the editor:
It is hard to imagine the loss of a loved one, especially when it happens unexpectedly. On Sept. 1, Chad Running drowned during our last family camping trip of the year. Although our lives will never be the same, we have comfort in knowing that the Lord is with us.
We are also very fortunate to have such caring family and friends and to live in such a wonderful community. The support our family has received is overwhelming and truly appreciated more than words can ever express. I can’t imagine living anywhere else during this time.

During this time of year, I feel like we, or rather some people, are in a hurry to rush through life so fast because Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are all bunched up.
What happened to enjoying the excitement of thinking up a costume for Halloween, or finding stuff to make it more our own?
Thanksgiving is coming up. I’m hurrying to get ready to go somewhere, or expecting someone to come in.

A free Medicare workshop takes place Thursday in room 117 at Colorado Northwestern Community College’s Craig campus, 2801 W. Ninth St.
Residents can attend the workshop any time between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The workshop, sponsored by the Moffat County Council on Aging and CNCC, is designed to help residents compare plans and make sure they have the right coverage.

10:30 a.m. The Aging Well Program, a program of the Northwest Colorado Visiting Northwest Colorado, hosts Wellness Wednesday for older adults at The Journey at First Baptist, 1150 W. Ninth St. Arthritis Foundation exercise is at 10:30 a.m., and lunch is at 11:30 a.m. Lunch is $3. Senior wellness and foot checks and Colorado Northwestern Community College classes also are available. Call 871-7676.
11 a.m. The Moffat County Tourism Association Board meets in the first floor conference room of Moffat County Courthouse, 221 W. Victory Way. Call 824-2335.

Separated by mere miles in our community are two high-profile yet unheralded institutions — the Museum of Northwest Colorado, 590 Yampa Ave., and Wyman Museum, 94350 E. U.S. Highway 40.
Both museums are home to extensive collections documenting Craig and Moffat County’s history, keeping alive our community’s heritage for current and future generations to observe, study and appreciate.
Our community should be thankful for these institutions.

To the editor:
You warned me to stay away from the soccer field during practice and games. I don’t see the problem.
But, I wanted to let you know I have been training and coaching all my life, and in Craig since 1980.

That bread you cast on the waters in hopes of drawing good things to you and your loved ones will come back to you thrice over in coming months. Those who believe in you will do what they can to help further your cause.

Tuesday, October 25

Gov. John Hickenlooper has ordered flags be lowered to half-staff on all public buildings statewide Saturday in honor of Staff Sgt. Robert B. Cowdrey.
Flags should be lowered from sunrise to sunset.
Cowdrey, 39, of Atwater, Ohio, died Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained during combat operations.

Mike Bates said when the Little Snake River Valley School’s six-man varsity football team lines up Friday, the Rattlers 18-game winning streak and 8-0 record go out the door.
“We are starting season two and the regular season is done with,” said Bates, the Rattlers’ head coach, on Monday. “A team could go 6-2 or 5-3 and still make it to the playoffs, but you have to go 3-0 to get the state trophy and the non-winners stay home.
“I think the finality of it raises the stakes in everyone’s mind.”
The Rattlers will host Hulett High School at noon Friday in Baggs, Wyo.
LSRV is the No. 1 seed from Class 1A South while Hulett is the fourth and final seed from Class 1A North.

More than 60 Maybell residents attended a meeting Friday night at Maybell Elementary School to discuss the fate of their local post office.
Marcela Rivera, post office review coordinator for the Colorado/Wyoming District, directed the meeting, which was similar to previous community gatherings in Hamilton and Savery, Wyo.
Although Maybell resident Lois Stoffle was pleased with the attendance and support from the community, she was disappointed in the absence of local elected officials.
“Not one of our local elected government representatives attended,” Stoffle said.

The Moffat County High School boys varsity soccer senior players walked onto the field Friday at Grand Junction High School for their final game as Bulldogs.
However, the players surrounding them weren’t the norm.
Already eliminated from playoff contention and losing seven seniors next year, head coach Rusty Cox decided to give the freshmen bench some playing time with the experienced seniors.
The result — a 5-0 loss to the Class 5A opponent.
“We started with the starting seniors and all freshmen and ended with a few seniors and all freshmen,” senior Jonathan Pando said. “We didn’t score, but Rusty said he wanted to give the younger players some much needed playing time. The game didn’t really mean anything, so Rusty told us to have fun.”

A suspect in an August car theft pleaded guilty Monday in Moffat County District Court to reduced charges and could serve up to 11 years in the Department of Corrections.
Jarod Bays, 25, of Craig, entered his guilty plea before Judge Shelley Hill to aggravated motor vehicle assault in the first degree, a Class 4 felony, and driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless endangerment, both of which are misdemeanors.
Additional charges of criminal mischief of $20,000 or more, a Class 3 felony, and trespass of an auto with intent to commit, a Class 5 felony, were dropped according to court records.

The Preserving the Last Frontier organization will host its monthly meeting at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the library on the second floor at Sunset Meadows I, 633 Ledford St.
Gina Robison of the Bureau of Land Management will give a program on the interpretive drive over Duffy Mountain. The meeting is open to the public.

Affiliating with special-interest groups could produce some unique advantages for you in the year ahead. In all likelihood, they will offer you opportunities that most normal channels wouldn't be able to provide.

Representatives of Yampa Valley Bank, 435 Mack Lane, said they have received several inquiries within the last week from customers about the possibility of fraud.
In a news release, Operations Officer Jennifer Bugay said customers each told the same story about getting called on their cell phones with a recorded message supposedly from Wells Fargo requesting debit card information.
Though none of the customers who contacted the bank gave the callers any information, Bugay said she went through the same experience shortly afterward.

The Craig Police Department, Colorado State Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration will accept unwanted, unused and expired prescription drugs during an event Saturday.
The medications will be accepted for disposal from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at Centennial Mall, 1111 W. Victory Way.
The service is free and no questions will be asked.

It’s budget season and Craig city officials are looking at a number of capital improvement projects for 2012, including one that could convert the East Annex into a dog park.
Dave Pike, city parks and recreation director, said he has about 10 possible projects and a dog park is probably in the middle of the list.
Pike said he would make recommendations to the city council on which projects he would like to address first.

Jobs, jobs and jobs.
That’s the motivation behind a seven state, 7,000-mile bus tour aimed at defeating rising unemployment rates through domestic energy resource development.
“The United States has the largest energy reserves on Earth,” said Thomas Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance based in Washington, D.C., in a news release. “Our supplies of natural gas, oil, coal and hydropower can supply this nation with all the energy we need for hundreds of years.

MIAMI (AP) — Fans chanted Tim Tebow's name in derision. They hooted as he missed open receivers, got buried under blitzes and kept falling short on third down.
Then he led an improbable comeback that became the latest chapter in the legend of Tebow.
In his first start this year, Tebow rallied the Denver Broncos with two touchdown passes in the final 2:44 of the fourth quarter to force overtime, and Matt Prater's 52-yard field goal gave them an 18-15 win Sunday over the stunned Miami Dolphins.

(AP) — Solar energy may finally get its day in the sun.
The high costs that for years made it impractical as a mainstream source of energy are plummeting. Real estate companies are racing to install solar panels on office buildings. Utilities are erecting large solar panel "farms" near big cities and in desolate deserts. And creative financing plans are making solar more realistic than ever for homes.
Solar power installations doubled in the United States last year and are expected to double again this year. More solar energy is being planned than any other power source, including nuclear, coal, natural gas and wind.

Boston (AP) — Downtown Dewey Square is crammed with tents and tarps of Occupy Boston protesters, but organizers made sure from the start of this weeks-old encampment that there was room for the holy.
No shoes are allowed in the "Sacred Space" tent here, but you can bring just about any faith or spiritual tradition.
A day's schedule finds people balancing their chakras, a "compassion meditation" and a discussion of a biblical passage in Luke. Inside, a Buddha statue sits near a picture of Jesus, while a hand-lettered sign in the corner points toward Mecca.

To the editor:
We have a president now who has stated he doesn’t believe in the U.S. Constitution as it is written.
When he takes it upon himself to enact laws through administrative order, it’s because he does not respect the normal process where things go through Congress and/or the Senate. And his supporters cheer because they do not fully understand what socialism really does or how it works.

The following are the latest scores for the Craig BCA Pool League following the sixth week of play. League nights are at 5 p.m. Sundays and 6 p.m. Mondays at The Popular Bar. The league is still accepting new players.
Sunday night 8-ball
(Team — score)
• Jeans Angels — 970

A training on concussion management is scheduled for 7 p.m. today in the Craig Middle School auditorium, 915 Yampa Ave.
The training will focus on a multi-disciplinary approach to concussion management.
Light snacks and child care will be provided.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Love in the Name of Christ distributes winter coats as part of the Community Coat Drive at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and Lutheran Church of Grace, 657 Green St. The limit is one coat per person per year. Call Love INC at 826-4400.
Noon. Al-Anon, a group for friends and family members of alcoholics, meets at First Congregational Church, 630 Green St. Call Lois at 824-4147.

To the editor:
I would like to respond to Nikki McLeslie’s letter Oct. 20. I agree with McLeslie 100 percent.
For some reason, things have taken a drastic change here in our Moffat County schools. Valued employees who are honest, hardworking, and always putting their jobs and kids first are thrown to the gutter and disregarded as non-existent.

To the editor:
The Knit Wit Crafters wish to thank all who have donated supplies and money to support our cause. We make various items to bring a little joy and warmth to veterans and shut-ins.
We made saddlebags for wheelchairs and walkers, quilts, afghans, scarves, lap blankets and others.

Flow with events, because significant changes can be made in the year ahead that could carry you to new areas of opportunity that you might never find otherwise. These alterations will trigger unique developments.

Sunday, October 23

The time: the beginning of World War II, about 1941.
The place: a North African shore.
A young man crawls under a tangle of wire in the dead of night, carrying two sticks of dynamite, each 3 inches thick.
He is a soldier, one of the millions who took up arms in a world war that stretched from the shores of Europe to the waters of the Pacific.

In May 1944, Craig resident Severino “Nic” Nicoletto found himself in Wales recovering from battle fatigue.
He and his shipmates had returned from the Soviet Union and were scheduled to board the RMS Queen Elizabeth for a luxury steam back to the U.S. for shore leave.
Instead, Nicoletto and the rest of his crew found themselves serving in a support role for the largest land, sea and air invasion in the history of modern warfare.

As summer comes to a close each year, Northwest Colorado residents prepare to board a roller coaster, an annual ride consisting of waves of folks from around the country who visit the region for the renowned hunting experience.
The ups and downs of welcoming the out-of-towners differ from year to year, but as Craig and Moffat County heads into the busy season, the outlook is positive.

A plane piloted by a young George Levkulich, Jr., screams over enemy territory.
Levkulich never flew a plane before he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at age 20. Aircraft will eventually become part of his life when he opens his own crop dusting/charter business in Craig.
But, the young first lieutenant in the Eighth Air Force is focused on more immediate matters.

Jake Garcia thumbed slowly through a roster for American Legion Post 62 in Craig recently.
Garcia, the post’s commander, was counting veterans in the legion’s membership who served in World War II, a conflict in which millions of Americans served in theaters across Europe and the Pacific.

What looked to be an all-too-familiar finish for the Moffat County High School varsity volleyball team turned into something much sweeter with one play Saturday.
Having fallen earlier in three sets to Eagle Valley on Saturday morning at home, the Bulldogs suited up for their final match of the season against Battle Mountain at MCHS.
With the match tied at two sets a piece, the Bulldogs couldn’t pull away from the Huskies to be the first team to 15 in the final set.

For Darcy Owens-Trask, director of the Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership, questions about coal miner retraining as a result of Colorado House Bill 10-1365 can be summed up in one word.
Accountability.
However, Owens-Trask believes state legislators and the Public Utilities Commission may be trying to back out of a pledge to provide worker retraining funds should the local coal mining industry be forced to shed jobs.

On a hill some five miles west of Craig, a mystery lingers.
A group of mourners gathered here in January 1915 to lay to rest Mary Dillon, a mother, widow and invalid of nearly 30 years.
According to her obituary in The Craig Empire, Dillon’s gravesite on the hill was intended to be a temporary resting place. Her body was interred there, at her request, “awaiting the time of removal to McDonald County, Mo., where the wife and mother will eventually rest beside the bodies of husband and son.”

Forget the latex gloves, scalpels and formaldehyde.
If you want to dissect a frog without actually slicing into a dead amphibian, there’s an app for that, said Krista Schenck, Moffat County High School business, marketing and technology teacher.
“There’s just a ridiculous amount of applications that you can get for education,” she added.

As Daniel Wille led his team to the sidelines Friday in Baggs, Wyo., the Little Snake River Valley School senior smiled as he grabbed his teammates’ hands.
Together, the LSRV six-man varsity football team sang the school’s fight song to family and friends in attendance.
The Rattlers scored 43 first-quarter points in their regular-season finale against Farson-Eden High School on way to a 63-30 victory.

Moffat County head football coach Kip Hafey and his Bulldogs didn’t have an answer for Ryan Moeller and the Rifle Bears.
With Moeller rushing for 324 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries behind an offensive line that pried open gaping holes all night long, Rifle cruised to a 48-6 win over Hafey’s squad on Friday.
“They really did well up front,” Moffat County’s coach said. “They kept trapping us up the middle. They just did a really good job with it. We tried to mix it up and do some different things, do some different line stunts.”

Fresh fruits and vegetables provide nutrients that are an important part of our diets.
Even when winter sets in, and there are no gardens or produce markets, we still find a wide variety of fresh produce at local grocery stores.
What a lot of ways we can prepare fresh fruit and vegetable dishes.

Someone asked me the other day if I had any good wild meat recipes, so that’s what I was thinking about one recent morning over a cup of coffee.
I remember when my sisters, brother and I were kids growing up on the ranch.
Our family used to take day outings in the fall (when the work was finished), and we often cooked elk burgers over an outdoor fire. The elk meat had been mixed with beef suet when it was being processed, and it was delicious. I also enjoy chili made with ground elk.

America’s long and deeply unpopular war in Iraq will be over by year’s end and all U.S. troops “’’will definitely be home for the holidays,” President Barack Obama declared Friday.
Stretching more than eight years, the war cost the United States heavily: More than 4,400 members of the military have been killed, and more than 32,000 have been wounded.
The final exit date was sealed after months of intensive talks between Washington and Baghdad failed to reach agreement on conditions for leaving several thousand U.S. troops in Iraq as a training force. The U.S. also had been interested in keeping a small force to help the Iraqis deal with possible Iranian meddling.

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Tim Tebow may face an injury-depleted Miami Dolphins secondary Sunday.
Safety Reshad Jones is doubtful and cornerback Vontae Davis and safety Chris Clemons are questionable for the game against Tebow and the Denver Broncos. All are hampered by hamstring injuries, as is cornerback Nolan Carroll, who is probable.

(AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a rule prohibiting roads on nearly 50 million acres of land in national forests across the United States, a ruling hailed by environmentalists as one of the most significant in decades.
Mining and energy companies, however, say it could limit development of natural resources such as coal, oil and natural gas.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals backed the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule after lawyers for the state of Wyoming and the Colorado Mining Association contended it was a violation of the law.

To the editor:
Reading the Saturday Morning Press editorial entitled “Sports Centered” brought to mind a question that I have had for a long time now. Can a school system be a reflection of a community?
Observations that I have made over the years are that the schools that have good sports programs also have good academics.
Those school systems strive for excellence in everything they do; it is a culture. Another observation is that those good schools are usually part of a community where parents, community leaders and industry work together to make the community the best it can be to the advantage of all; it is a culture.

Colorado Northwestern Community College’s Student Government is hosting the CNCC Halloween Dance from 8 to 11 p.m. Oct. 29 in the west wing of the Craig campus, 2801 W. Ninth St.
The cost is $4 per person or $6 per couple.

For individual residents and families, saving money in case of rainy days makes sound financial sense.
For governments and public agencies, it makes little to none.
Unfortunately, many of our local leaders don’t seem to agree.

Darrie took a likin’ to Hangin’ Tree cow dogs. They are slick, short-haired and promoted for their endurance and stamina. They have that hound dog look and come in various colors. Darrie bought her pup out of Missouri and brought her to Arizona. It was female so she named her Billie.
Billie soon adapted to the new neighborhood and was already “workin’” all the animals on the place: barn cats, old dogs, saddle horses, jackrabbits, and the occasional javelina.
By the time she was nine months old, she had begun to travel farther afield so it was necessary to pen her up at night.

To the editor:
I would like to thank Chad and Lisa Lawton, Dave Pike, Shane and Sandy Camilletti, Glen and Paula Duzik, Ann Marie Roberts, Jason and Hanna Walker, Kurt and Vonnie Frentress, Nancy Day, my parents, brother and daughter for writing letters and believing in me enough to apply for the girls basketball coaching job in Hayden.

To the editor:
The Moffat County School District’s funding for the 2011-12 school year was cut by $730,000.
We are not alone. All state funds for education were cut trying to balance the deficit in the state’s budget. The projections for the next few years are more cuts.

An opportunity of considerable proportion might develop for you in the year ahead, through a recently established social contact. It could enable you to team up with someone who already has a huge success underway.

Friday, October 21

High school students all over the nation are currently worried about the application process. Several high school seniors will or are applying and juniors are preparing to apply next year. There are certain tips and tricks that will make this application process easier.
The application process is the largest topic of the senior parent meetings on the 11th and 12th of October.

The almost 30 year run of The Red Hot Chili Peppers has covered all different types of musical genres. From beginnings in a mixture of funk and punk seen in their first album Freaky Styley, to pop driven melodies in their last album Stadium Arcadium, the growth of the band is undeniable.

“A new school year” isn’t just a short phrase students in school use to explain the fact that summer vacation is nearing a close. Talk of the new school year could be the way a student expresses their excitement of being able to make new friends, it could be the considered thought of achieving new goals at school, or even the anticipation of the new trials and errors that are going to be made throughout the next nine months.

Racing up the hill, knowing that they will only have ten minutes left to eat lunch, and end up cursing the long the line at Subway or McDonalds; that is how several of the juniors and seniors who attend Moffat County High School go through the process of getting back to school after going out for lunch.

The nursing program at Colorado Northwestern Community College’s Craig campus is one step closer to attaining a nod from a national accrediting commission.
Examiners scoured the campus during a site visit last week and recommended the program for initial accreditation through the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Nursing Program Director Kelly Martin-Puleo said.
If the program receives final accreditation, it’s expected to be good news for the college and its students.

After a rough couple of days last week, Wendy Hall was happy to see her team’s hard work this week pay off Thursday at Moffat County High School.
Hall, the Steamboat Springs High School varsity volleyball coach, said her players’ work ethic was slacking last week.
But, the Sailors didn’t let down against the MCHS varsity volleyball team, winning in three straight sets Thursday.

Senior Alfredo Lebron’s goal was to win a state title in his final season as a Moffat County High School cross-country runner.
After Wednesday’s 4A Region 5 cross-country meet, Lebron has yet to lose to a 4A opponent, winning the regional meet in 15 minutes and 47.65 seconds.
“It feels pretty dang good,” Lebron said after the race. “I was more nervous heading into the regional race than I have been all season, but I got out and did what I had to do.”

(AP) — Corey Crawford kept his team in it early. Patrick Sharp made it pay off late.
Crawford stopped 13 shots in the first period to withstand an early charge, Sharp broke a tie early in the third period and the Chicago Blackhawks went on to beat Colorado 3-1 on Thursday night to snap the Avalanche's winning streak at five games.
Jonathan Toews had a goal and an assist and Marian Hossa also scored to help the Blackhawks sweep a two-game trip that started in Phoenix on Tuesday night.

(AP) — State officials have approved a $60 million project to widen an eastbound tunnel on Interstate 70 and add a third eastbound lane over a 2½-mile stretch of the mountain freeway.
The Summit Daily News reports the Colorado Transportation Commission approved the funding Thursday.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Federal environmental regulators signaled Thursday they want to increase oversight of the natural gas extraction industry, announcing they will develop national standards for the disposal of polluted wastewaters generated by a drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Energy companies have dramatically expanded the use of fracking in recent years, injecting millions of gallons of water, sand and chemical additives to unlock gas in deep shale formations in Pennsylvania, Texas and other states. Its prevalence has raised concerns about the potential impact on water quality and quantity.

(AP) — Only by lifting weights has a weight been lifted off of Elvis Dumervil.
The Denver Broncos pass rush specialist has been hampered by a sore left shoulder all season, an injury that's sapped his strength and caused him endless aggravation.
Until now.
Over the bye week, Dumervil was finally able to pump some iron and build his confidence.

The next time you watch snowflakes tumble to the ground, think of them as distant relatives.
We humans share a physical trait with the frozen bits of lace: uniqueness. Just as each snowflake has a singular design, each person possesses one-of-a-kind fingerprints — and body odors.
Dragnet taught me about fingerprints years ago, but I didn’t know I carried a unique smell until recently. If I can believe my Internet research, no two humans have the same odor, except for identical twins.

To the editor:
We would like to thank the people of Craig and our Facebook friends for all their emails, calls of concern, offers of help and prayers for our grandson, Casey Greene.
Casey will need more of those prayers as he starts down the road to recovery.

The Colorado Environmental Coalition, The Wilderness Society and Friends of Northwest Colorado are hosting a cottonwood tree-planting trip for today and Saturday at Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge.
Overnight camping is an option for $10. Pre-registration is required at www.ourcolorado.org/cottonwood.

9 a.m. Hunter sight-ins are at the Bears Ears Sportsman Club Cedar Mountain Range, on Moffat County Road 7. Targets are out to 400 yards. Call Howdy at 824-6109 or 629-8550 or Andy at 824-8407.
9 to 11 a.m. Playgroup for toddler/preschool-age children takes place at the Early Childhood Development Preschool at the Moffat County School District administrative building, 775 Yampa Ave. Call Carissa at 826-9742.

To the editor:
The Republicans should compromise?
It has been 900 days since the president and Democrats submitted a required budget. They continue to spend more than they take in, increase the debt exponentially, waste money beyond our imagination, and play Russian roulette with a frightened nation’s economy every few months to get an increase, instead of providing a required budget and living with accountability.

New and interesting times might be in the offing for you in the next year, where your social life is concerned. Several new relationships that start out on a casual basis will develop and grow into enviable lifelong friendships.

On Friday October 7, the homecoming football game took place between MCHS and Glenwood Springs at the Bulldog Proving Grounds. These two teams have battled eight times in the last eight years. Although it was cold, the turnout was huge and people were bundled to keep warm.

On Friday October 7, the annual homecoming parade took place between Craig City Park and Sandrock Ridge Care Center. Preparation for the biggest parade in Moffat County started in the end of August. Delaine Brown, Student Council Advisor said that candy would not be thrown.

Moffat County High School students don't get very many chances to dress up. Last Saturday night, they got that rare opportunity and they made the most of it.
The girls wore dresses with high heels (that came off as soon as they hit the dance floor), while some of the guys were outfitted in tuxedoes and dress shoes.

This year Moffat County High School has three new teachers: Mrs. Kartus, Ms. Jarvis, and Mrs. Reyes. All three are happy to be here. They are impressed with the town of Craig and the district.
Mrs. Kartus, the new history and government teacher, moved to Steamboat Springs from Littleton, Colorado.

The difference between Norway, Sweden and Craig, Colorado is very surprising for foreign exchange student, Ana Naerby. Norway is a very central city and it's a surburban town. The schools in Sweden teach one subject all day. For example, on a Monday, a student would have math.

A Craig resident has asked the Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership to assist the Town of Dinosaur in its negotiations with the Ute Tribe to bring a gaming facility to the small town 90 miles west of Craig.
EDP Director Darcy Owens-Trask made the announcement Wednesday during the board’s regular monthly meeting.
Owens-Trask said the Craig resident, who prefers to remain anonymous, is worried Dinosaur town officials may need additional assistance to negotiate a contract that is fair for their town.

Six plus schools from all over the western slope gather together for one day to share their love of music.
Choir Director, Heather Dahlberg, spends the first nine weeks of school preparing her students for several things. Fall Vocal Clinic is one of the most important.

The boys golf team started out well but when it came to the regional championships, the boys didn't fair so well. The biggest difference this year is the experienced players on the team. Coach Ken Harjes and Assistant Coach Casey Kilpatrick had four seniors that went to regionals last year.

Having won 8 games in a row last year, breaking every record set in Moffat County history, and making it to the second round in playoffs, last season will be hard to beat for the MCHS soccer team.
So far the team has had 3 league wins, 1 league tie, and 2 league losses. "Last year was amazing,” Rusty Cox said. “It was probably the best team Moffat County has ever had,” Jonathan Pando said.

The Moffat County volleyball team is off to a good start and improving everyday! The Varsity has won one league game so far and JV and freshman are not far behind.The girls season started August 22 and ends October 23. The most important event the Varsity volleyball team wants is at the end of the season they want to be in the top five so they can go to regionals.

Experience and veterans are in abundance this year as the cross country team starts off a new season. "We have more seniors on the boys side, and more overall experience on the girls side," said head coach Todd Trapp. "We are stronger and work more as a team this year," says junior Eryn Leonard. Trapp is expecting leadership from seniors Alfredo Lebron, Rene Molina, Miguel Molina, Dale Nakai, Wyatt Villa, and junior Matthew Hulstine.

While watching film from the Little Snake River Valley School’s six-man varsity football game last week, Cole Gourlay looked at coach Mike Bates and uttered a phrase Bates said he was pleased to hear.
“Cole looked at me and said, ‘Well, at least we haven’t peaked yet,’” Bates said Tuesday. “We still have a lot we could do defensively in consistency and focusing on our responsibilities.

The board for Colorado Northwestern Community College’s Craig campus has tapped one new member and plans to appoint another in November.
The appointees, in addition to one existing member, will bring the board up to full membership and end a search that began more than a month ago.

A plethora of pumpkins make up Saturday’s family activities in Craig, with two separate events dedicated to the favorite fruit of the fall season — a pumpkin-painting contest at the Centennial Mall and the third annual Pumpkin Patch at Wyman Museum.
The contest, hosted by Hayden’s Rebekah Lodge No. 75, starts at 10 a.m. in the mall parking lot.

Another week and another ranked opponent for the Moffat County High School varsity football team.
When the Bulldogs line up at 7 p.m. Friday at Rifle High School, the No. 5 Bears will be the sixth ranked team MCHS has played this season.
The Bulldogs, 1-6 overall and 1-3 in Western Slope League play, have lost to six teams who have an accumulated a record of 35-8 thus far, with four of those losses attributed to Glenwood Springs High School.

The Moffat County Cattlewomen will meet at 5:30 p.m. today at the Moffat County School District bus garage on Rose Street.
The group’s Moving Wall of Brands is on display at the Craig Campground through the month of October.

Your chart indicates that there are strong probabilities for profit in the coming months, from something that is originated by another. Lady Luck could be big factor in that person bringing you into his or her endeavor.

Dolph C. Simons Jr., editor of the Lawrence Journal-World and chairman of The World Company, was awarded The Ralph D. Casey/Minnesota Award at Inland Press Association’s 126th Annual Meeting on Tuesday at the Renaissance Chicago Hotel.
The Simons family owns WorldWest LLC, the parent company of the Craig Daily Press and the Steamboat Pilot & Today.
The Ralph D. Casey/Minnesota Award is presented each year to a publisher, editor or senior newspaper staff member who has a distinguished record of leadership and service in the newspaper industry or at his/her newspaper.

ZANESVILLE, Ohio (AP) — Officers armed with assault rifles patrolled Zanesville Wednesday morning, a day after police killed dozens of animals that escaped from a wild-animal preserve, and where the owner's body later was found.
Warning that more animals still were on the loose, officials expected up to four school districts to cancel classes as the remaining bears, big cats and other beasts from the Muskingum County Animal Farm were hunted down.
Close to 30 of the 48 animals were shot and killed on Tuesday. Officials were pondering how to dispose of the remains.

(AP) — Post-Columbine school disciplinary policies that Colorado lawmakers say lead to mandatory expulsions for things like inadvertently having a butter knife in a backpack are facing an overhaul, under a proposal given preliminary approval Tuesday.
A legislative committee moved forward with a proposal that seeks to give education officials more discretion over expulsions and police referrals, which lawmakers say became more common after the 1999 Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, where two students killed 13 people and then themselves.
Committee members said zero-tolerance policies adopted during the last decade have tied the hands of school administrators, who are forced to expel students or involve law enforcement for minor infractions.

(AP) — Demaryius Thomas' goal as the Denver Broncos' new deep threat is twofold: get on the field and stay there.
Thomas has had more injuries than touchdowns since becoming the first wide receiver selected in the 2010 NFL draft, ahead of Dallas' Dez Bryant.
The burly wide receiver practiced for the first time in more than a month on Monday, the same day the Broncos traded Tim Tebow's top target, Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Lloyd, to the St. Louis Rams for what will likely be a fifth-round pick in 2012.

The fall sports season hasn’t been kind to Moffat County High School.
The football team is limping along with a 1-6 record. The volleyball team’s mark stands at 4-10.
The soccer team, after breaking through the playoff barrier last season, has regressed to a 6-5-2 season this year.

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. AARP’s driver safety course is in the second-floor activity room at Sunset Meadows I, 633 Ledford St. The cost is $12 for AARP members or $14 for non-AARP members. RSVP to 824-5123 or at Sunset Meadows I.
11:30 a.m. The Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership Board meets in the main floor conference room of Moffat County Courthouse, 221 W. Victory Way. Call 826-2039.

To the editor:
I recently resigned from my position as athletic secretary/attendance clerk at Moffat County High School.
Since I resigned, I have received numerous phone calls or people have been asking me what happened when I am seen in public. I decided that now would be the time for me to let you, the public, know what happened.
In the fall of 2010, all of the classified staff — employees who are school secretaries or maintenance workers, including the custodians — of the school district were informed of a 6.5-percent cut in pay. The teachers and administration would take a pay freeze, which later became a 1-percent raise. I can only guess this happened because classified staff are the only employees who are not at the top of the pecking order, or not members of a teachers union.

It’s that time of year again, where pumpkins, ghosts and cobwebs reign supreme. There are several autumn-themed, and sometimes spooky, activities planned that will keep you in the spirit of the season.
■ Prepare to be scared as American Legion Post 62 offers its haunted house beginning this weekend at Centennial Mall, 1111 W. Victory Way.

The following are the latest scores for the Craig BCA Pool League following the fifth week of play. League nights are at 5 p.m. Sundays and at 6 p.m. Mondays at The Popular Bar. The league is accepting new players.

Instead of taking gambles on persons or things about which you know little, bet only on yourself in the year ahead. You'll have several good potential projects and, even if you fail, you'll know why and what to do about it in the future.

Tuesday, October 18

The Moffat County Commission approved Tuesday extending an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management to maintain public usage of a county road near Dinosaur.
Jeff Comstock, Moffat County’s natural resources director, and Kent Walker, BLM White River Field Office manager, negotiated the right-of-way grant.

Prospects can be dim for students who fall behind in reading at an early age, Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia told a group of about 30 Craig residents Monday.
“Kids who leave third grade and are not proficient readers never really catch up in the other academic subject areas and they’re certainly not prepared for post-secondary opportunities when and if they do graduate,” he said.
A public forum he conducted Monday at Craig City Hall was designed to take aim at that problem.

In honor of Teen Read Week, the Craig branch of Moffat County Libraries, 570 Green St., is hosting teen game night and a drawing for an mp3 player and speaker set.
Teen Read Week began Sunday and continues through Saturday.
Teen game night is from 5 to 6:30 p.m. today at the library.

Acquiring some new acquaintances can help refurbish your circle of friends and make life more exciting in the year ahead. Traveling in different circles opens the door for many new experiences and gives you greater experience.

Monday, October 17

Teams record first-, two second-, and fourth-place finishes

For the Craig Middle School volleyball program, it would appear seven is indeed the luckiest number.
The seventh-grade A-team won Saturday’s district tournament hosted by CMS, coming out on top against visiting teams from Rangely, Meeker and Steamboat Springs.
Playing in a double elimination format, the Bulldogs won all three brackets of the day, beating Rangely 2-0 in the first round before moving on to a 2-1 victory against Meeker in the second.

After a half of play Friday in Midwest, Wyo., Little Snake River Valley School six-man varsity football players found themselves in an unfamiliar situation.
The Rattlers, who had won 16 straight games and a Wyoming 1A state title in the past year, were tied, 33-33.
“I told my players at half when we were on the bus that when they step off, it is like we are showing up for the first time,” head coach Mike Bates said.

It takes a mighty talented group of people to turn one of the worst things in the world into something humorous, but the cast of “50/50” manages to beat the odds.
Adam’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) life could be better, but it could also be much worse. He’s got a job that’s more or less rewarding, a best friend (Seth Rogen) who’s usually supportive of him and a girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) he loves.
Well, pretty much.

The Bureau of Land Management released Monday the Record of Decision for the Little Snake Resource Management Plan in Northwest Colorado.
The Record of Decision is the final step of an extensive, multi-year effort to develop a Resource Management Plan for the approximately 1.3 million acres of BLM-administered public lands and an additional 1.1 million acres of subsurface mineral estate administered by the Little Snake Field Office in Moffat, Routt, and Rio Blanco counties.
“There has been extensive public and cooperator involvement throughout this process, which began in 2004,” Little Snake Field Manager Wendy Reynolds said. “We have used this involvement to develop a plan that balances protection of sensitive resources with resource use.”

A public forum featuring Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia is scheduled to take place from 1 to 2 p.m. today in the council chambers at Craig City Hall, 300 W. Fourth St., according to a news release.
The forum is part of a statewide listening tour designed to gather input from educators, community leaders and parents about early childhood literacy.

“I’ve worked here for about one year. I was in the insurance and financial industry prior to this, and I came to work for Edward Jones because they’re a great company to work for. I was with New York Life for about four years, I had my own office for about a year and I also worked for the other agency in town. I mostly do sales and processing of insurance. I’m not a financial adviser here, that’s Bryan Ludgate. I mostly run the office.

Giving your furry friends a healthy lifestyle is crucial, and it all starts with what goes in their food bowl.
Paddy Whack, 400 Mack Lane, specializes in all-natural pet food and supplies. The business had its grand opening Saturday.
Owner Kelly Davidson has raised and competed with dogs for five years.

At least until Tuesday, the Moffat County High School boys varsity soccer team will be cheering for a Western Slope League foe to come out on top.
The Bulldogs took care of business in their home finale Saturday against Palisade High School in an 8-0 victory.
In a season plagued with injuries, MCHS would be in control of its own playoff destiny if Eagle Valley High School defeats Steamboat Springs High School on Tuesday.

Lexie Warkentin said she’s still regaining strength in her right elbow, on which she had Tommy John reconstructive surgery back on March 2.
Watching her swat the volleyball to the floor Saturday, you wouldn’t have known she’s not at full strength.
Behind nine kills from the hard-hitting senior, Glenwood Springs rolled to a 25-19, 25-21, and 25-23 win over visiting Moffat County High School.

Eating lunch at the Golden Cavvy over the weekend, 8-year-old Logan Montgomery got to see someone most people don’t get a glimpse of in October — Santa Claus.
“I told him I wanted to get a remote control robot and some new dirt bike gear,” Logan said. “He told me I needed to make a list because I couldn’t decide.”
While Logan and his brother, Luke, 5, got the chance to tell Santa what they were hoping to see under the tree come Dec. 25, their parents were making sure other children would have a pleasant Christmas.

When she was a little girl, Satori Romaine craved two things: stardom and hula hoops.
She got the latter for birthday and Christmas presents when she was a child, said Romaine, a 17-year-old Moffat County High School senior.
As for the former — well, she’s still working on that.

(AP) — Race car drivers always know the worst can happen whenever they get behind the wheel.
On Sunday, it happened to one of IndyCar's biggest and most popular stars.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died after his car became ensnared in a fiery 15-car pileup, flew over another vehicle and hit the catch fence just outside turn 2 in a season-ending race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

(AP) — A state lawmaker is considering introducing a bill that would eliminate paying state workers for unused leave and sick time, which could mean a savings of about $367 million.
State workers want the benefit to remain as it is, saying it's one of the few they have left.
The Daily Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/ozbCIt ) the state has paid more than $58 million in unused leave and sick time to state workers since 2008.

There ought to be some interesting chatter around the breakfast table Monday morning at Dove Valley.
Not only is No. 1 receiver Brandon Lloyd available for trade but so is fellow receiver Eddie Royal, who was the team's No. 2 receiver until he suffered a partially torn groin in week 2. Both are eligible for free agency at season's end. So if you're keeping score at home, Lloyd, Royal and Kyle Orton have all asked for trades in the past three months. So far, none of them have been dealt.

Today
4 p.m. The Moffat County High School junior varsity football team plays at Steamboat Springs High School, 45 Maple St.
5:15 p.m. The Moffat County High School freshmen football team plays at Steamboat Springs High School, 45 Maple St.

The time to get down and get serious about getting winter clothes ready is here.
So, I found my leg warmer.
But, I’m not sure if it’s the one for the left or right leg. I take turns using it until I find the right one.

Noon. Al-Anon, a group for friends and family members of alcoholics, meets at First Congregational Church, 630 Green St. Call Lois at 824-4147.
12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Apostolic Lighthouse Church, 3107 W. First St., hosts Moms’ Monday. Local mothers can bring their children and lunch to the church to enjoy fellowship while children play. Call 824-2496 or 629-0176.
4 p.m. The Moffat County High School junior varsity football team plays at Steamboat Springs High School, 45 Maple St.

Be extremely selective of individuals you choose as allies in the year ahead, in either business or personal matters. Don't connect yourself with anybody who can't make a credible contribution or offer something of value.

Saturday, October 15

What’s the safest place to store your money, Lori Gowdy asked a group of East Elementary School first-graders Wednesday: your wallet or a hole in your back yard?
“Wallet,” the children chorused.
The exercise was part of a program called “Teach Children to Save,” one of two offered by First National Bank of the Rockies. The purpose of the programs: to teach children how to be financially savvy.

While at the library last week, I came upon “Lettuce Feed You Luncheon Favorites,” a recipe book put together by the Yampa Valley Ladies Golf Association. (Remember when they used to host a salad luncheon?)
The little recipe book was used in a fundraiser activity back in 2004. Among the book’s delicious recipes were several that had been submitted by Craig resident Phyllis Virden.
So, I called Phyllis and got permission to include some of them in Over a Cup of Coffee.

All it takes is a visit to the grocery store to remind ourselves what a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are available to consumers. Fresh fruits and vegetables are delicious and nutritionally beneficial, but as with any other food products, steps must be taken to ensure product safety and quality.
“Guide to Washing Fresh Produce,” No. 9.380, is one in a series of brochures produced by Colorado State University Extension. It was written by A. Zander, Boulder County Extension Agent and M. Bunning, Extension Food Safety Specialist and Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.
According to information provided in the brochure, there are seven steps to limiting bacterial contamination and pesticides.

Facing what one official described as financial “dire straights,” the U.S. Postal Service is considering closures at rural branches in Hamilton, Maybell, Slater and Dixon as well as Savery, Wyo.
USPS is conducting discontinuing studies at 71 post offices in Colorado. Forty-one Wyoming branches are under consideration, as well.
The post office in Craig, located at 555 Pershing St., is not on the list of USPS sites being considered for shutdown.

As the game clock ticked down toward half time Friday at the Bulldog Proving Grounds, the Moffat County High School varsity football team looked to punch the ball into the end zone.
However, the Bulldogs first trip into the red zone resulted in a fourth-down stop by Battle Mountain High School inside the Huskies 1-yard line.
The inability to finish drives stifled the Bulldogs’ offense on the night, and Battle Mountain went on to defeat MCHS, 28-13.

In the last competition before the 4A regional meet, the Moffat County High School varsity cross-country team was looking for improvement, head coach Todd Trapp said.
On Thursday at the Rifle Cross-Country Invitational, senior Alfredo Lebron and junior Eryn Leonard won their respective races to lead the boys and girls teams to first-place finishes.
“The competition level wasn’t as high as the regional tournament or as we have seen this season, but the runners all came out and performed,” Trapp said. “Because it was a low-key meet, we were able to pack up and help each other with teamwork and help build confidence.”

RIO BLANCO COUNTY — Beginning Monday, the Colorado Department of Transportation will begin a $4.9 million reconstruction project on Colorado Highway 13 near Meeker, the agency reported Friday in a news release.
Impacting 1.95 miles of the highway from mile markers 25 to 27, the project will widen shoulders, and add guidedrails and new drainage pipes to the highway section.

RIO BLANCO COUNTY — The Rio Blanco County Clerk and Recorder announced Friday that more than 1,200 ballots mailed to voters in Meeker School District RE-1 were accidentally marked “Sample Ballot” on the side of the documents.
Rio Blanco County Clerk Nancy Amick said the error occurred during the printing process.

On Friday, Gov. John Hickenlooper ordered flags be lowered to half-staff on all public buildings statewide Sunday in observance of the 30th Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service.
Flags should be lowered from sunrise to sunset.

(AP) — The Denver Broncos made one bold move in promoting Tim Tebow this week. They might soon make another.
The trade deadline is Tuesday, and there are reports the Broncos are shopping Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Lloyd.
Lloyd is in the final year of his deal that pays him about $1.4 million this season, a bargain for a player who led the league with 1,448 yards receiving last year, when he caught 77 passes, 11 of them for touchdowns.

KIT CARSON, Colo. (AP) — Cellphone use was ruled out Friday as the reason a van driven by a Colorado sheriff s deputy slammed into a cattle trailer along a rural highway under repair, killing him and five foster and adopted children he and his wife had taken into their home.
Seven other children in the van were injured, and at least one was in critical condition Friday.
The 1999 Dodge Ram van driven by Cheyenne County Deputy Howard Mitchell, 57, crashed into the trailer that had stopped Thursday in a construction zone on U.S. 287 near the town of Kit Carson.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Armando Cardenas says he has thought about leaving Alabama because of the possibility of being arrested as an illegal immigrant and the hostility he feels from residents.
But now that a federal appeals court has sided with the Obama administration and dealt a blow to the state's toughest-in-the-nation immigration law, Cardenas said he will stay for at least a while longer.
"It's not easy to leave everything you have worked so hard for," Cardenas said after the appeals court blocked public schools from checking the immigration status of students.

To the editor:
Congresswoman Maxine Waters has not only told the Tea Party folks to “go straight to hell,” she has offered to take them there herself. As the Church Lady from “Saturday Night Live” was so fond of saying, “Isn’t that special?”
I wonder if Maxine has filed for all the permits to have such an adventure. According to some news reports, this administration is pumping out as many as 10 new rules and regulations each working day.

AARP’s driver safety course is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday in the second-floor activity room at Sunset Meadows I, 633 Ledford St.
The cost is $12 for AARP members or $14 for non-AARP members. Be sure to bring driver’s licenses and AARP membership cards.

Politics is, by and large, the art of compromise.
But, you couldn’t tell by looking at today’s political landscape.
At the national level, gridlock has brought the wheels of government screeching to a standstill as Republicans and Democrats squabble over the federal budget. Only eleventh-hour deals have kept this country from plummeting into financial chaos.

For those of you to whom the word “sheep camp” conjures up a pastoral, nostalgic, even romantic vision of shepherds watching over their flocks by night, I suspect you’ve never slept in one.
Sheep camp, in the real world of shepherding, is the wagon where you sleep, live and eat. It looks like a small covered wagon. A round top on a box. There is a built-in-bed with storage underneath. There is a small stove-heater propane unit and a drop-down kitchen cabinet behind.

To the editor:
This summer, a group of children from the Boys & Girls Club of Craig built a cluster of barn wood birdhouses. These children put the houses together to donate in memory of a club member’s mother who recently passed away.
In building these houses, the children learned about construction and their ability to create something with their hands, but it also instilled a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging, and most importantly, the value behind giving back to the community.

To the editor:
The Moffat County High School Student Council would like to thank everyone who helped make the 2011 Homecoming Week a success.
We would not be able to have Homecoming Week without the support of MCHS staff, parents, businesses and community members throughout Moffat County.

There is a good chance that events will cause you to do more traveling than normal in the near future. These multiple trips aren't likely to be of long duration, but chances are they'll be fun and adventurous, as well as profitable.

Friday, October 14

With a spot in Wyoming’s 1A state playoffs clinched, the Little Snake River Valley School’s six-man varsity football team will be battling for home-field advantage today.
The Rattlers, 6-0 and owners of a 16-game winning streak stretching back to last season, travel today to Midwest School to battle the 5-1 Oilers.
The game is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Darin White said he routinely instructs his football players to keep focused and work as a team no matter the situation.
When his team, Rehabilitation Services of Craig Packers, went down 7-0 in the second quarter to the Masterworks Mechanical Raiders during the Doak Walker third- and fourth-grade football championship game Wednesday at Woodbury Sports Complex, White didn’t stray from his message.
“I told them to go out and keep going after them,” he said. “The last time we played (the Raiders), we probably should have lost, be we got saved and scored a last second touchdown. We knew it would be a tough game, but I told the kids to keep working hard.”

The Craig Chamber of Commerce Board approved Thursday pursue bringing Cinda Baxter, founder and president of The 3/50 Project, to Moffat County to present the program to small business owners.
The project, launched in 2009, encourages consumers to choose three independently owned businesses they would miss if they were gone and to spend $50 each month in those types of businesses.

(AP) — Tim Tebow isn't the cure-all for the Denver Broncos.
He brings energy, enthusiasm and excitement to a franchise sorely in need of all three, but he can't stop the run or defend the pass. Nor can he do anything about all the battered bodies that have relegated run-stuffers and playmakers to the trainers' rooms and operating tables.
Kyle Orton lost his starting job following the team's 1-4 start, but the Broncos have been bedeviled by more than just quarterback play in coach John Fox's first season in Denver.

(AP) — Officials on Thursday moved to put an end to Wall Street protesters' month-long occupation of a park that spawned similar gatherings across the nation, setting up a potential confrontation with police and an uncertain future for a movement that claims to speak for the disillusioned middle class.
Demonstrators at the half-acre park in lower Manhattan said they won't go anywhere at the Friday morning deadline when the park's owners, their patience worn thin, want them to clear out and stop pitching tents or using sleeping bags. Thursday evening, many trained in civil disobedience. They linked arms and sat down.

KIT CARSON, Colo. (AP) — A van driven by a sheriff's deputy who ran a group home for adopted and foster children collided with an empty cattle trailer on Thursday in a highway construction zone, killing him and five children and injuring seven other children.
Howard Mitchell, 57, was taking 12 of the children from the home in Kit Carson to Eads at the time of the crash around 7:30 a.m., troopers said. The school district in Eads, about 15 miles away, said on its website that the Mitchell family had close ties to the community of about 600 people.

Northwest Colorado Republican Women will meet at noon today at the Galaxy Restaurant, 524 Yampa Ave.
Moffat County School Board candidates speak and introduce themselves. The meeting is open to the public. Those who wish to eat lunch should arrive by 11:45 a.m.

To the editor:
We at Yampa Valley Bank would like to thank the following people for making our Homecoming float such a success:
Thank you to Jim Simos for graciously allowing us to occupy his shop for the week.
Thank you to Brent at B&B Welders Supply for donating the helium.

9 a.m. Hunter sight-ins take place at the Bears Ears Sportsman Club Cedar Mountain Range, on Moffat County Road 7. Targets are out to 400 yards. Call Howdy at 824-6109 or 629-8550 or Andy at 824-8407.
9 to 11 a.m. Playgroup for toddler/preschool-age children takes place at the Early Childhood Development Preschool at the Moffat County School District administrative building, 775 Yampa Ave. Call Carissa at 826-9742.

To the editor:
Many thanks to the Colorado Department of Transportation for all the support in the months preceding Dave’s passing and the awesome presence at his funeral in Walden. The snowplow was perfect.
We will always treasure the donation of the flags.

To the editor:
I moved to Craig, the land of sagebrush, ranchers, and critters, at 34.
I did more growing up in the four years living in Craig than I ever did in my historically nomadic life.
I love our little town. I love the people, deeply cherish my friendships, love the easy going attitude, and the open country.

Both a little bit of chance and a lot of Lady Luck are likely to play prominent roles in your personal affairs during coming months. Although both factors will make your life easier, one particular event will be especially outstanding.

Thursday, October 13

I become spiteful when forced to wait for others, fuming as I wonder why their time is more valuable than mine. I resist the urge to pound my head — or theirs — on a hard surface, but allow my disgusted sighs to escape and resound.
People move away from me.
If I’m hungry, the ugliness multiplies. My blood pressure skyrockets when I wait too long for a Caesar salad without the waitress offering an explanation: they had to send out for lettuce or the busboy attacked the sous chef.
If they’d let me know, I wouldn’t have to squirm and snarl.

Fire managers from the Northwest Colorado Interagency Fire Management Unit are planning to conduct a 400-acre prescribed burn beginning Friday, approximately 31 miles northwest of Maybell, north of Colorado Highway 318.

The Moffat County High School varsity football team’s playoff hopes may be slim at this point, but the Bulldogs are still hoping to make some noise in the Western Slope League.
MCHS hosts Battle Mountain High School at 7 p.m. Friday at the Bulldog Proving Grounds, 900 Finley Lane.
The Huskies, 5-1 overall and 2-1 in WSL play, will be the Bulldogs’ fifth ranked opponent this season.

EDP event draws renowned speaker, local small businesses

All indicators point to continued national and global recession, a leading economist said Wednesday during a presentation in Craig.
Dr. Carl Steidtmann, chief economist and director of consumer business at Deloitte research in New York City, was the keynote speaker at the Economic Update and Small Business Resource Fair, an event hosted by the Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership at the Moffat County Fairgrounds Pavilion.
In his presentation called “A Gaggle of Black Swans,” Steidtmann said the U.S. lost more than nine million jobs at the peak of the recession.
Since then, only 1.9 million jobs have been restored. At the current pace, he said a full economic recovery may not occur until 2018 or later.

Ballots for the November election were mailed to active, registered voters Tuesday, Moffat County Elections Supervisor Stephanie Beckett said.
On this year’s ballot are five school board candidates vying for open seats in districts 1, 3 and 5. The District 7 seat is also available, but no candidates emerged and the school board will address the vacancy after the election.
Also on the ballot is state tax question Proposition 103, which proposes to increase public school funding through increased income and sales taxes.
This year, the election in Moffat County is being conducted entirely by mail, Beckett said. Ballots may be returned to the elections office by mail or by dropping the ballot in election boxes situated throughout the county.
Moffat County Clerk and Recorder Lila Herod said there remains confusion about what it means to be an active, registered voter. She said she wants to make sure people understand that if they did not vote in the gubernatorial election last year, they may not automatically receive a ballot.

Yampa Valley Data Partners will host 5:05 Drinks from 5:05 to 6:30 p.m. today at J.W. Snack’s Bar & Grill, 210 E. Victory Way.
The program will focus on keeping homes warm and energy efficient this winter.
The event is free to the public and includes appetizers and drink specials.

Many influential contacts you've developed over the past number of years could figure into your affairs in the months ahead, in some new and different ways. It'll prove that you should never lose contact with people who like you.

Wednesday, October 12

The will to win in sports can manifest itself in numerous ways.
For Mario Delgado’s football team, the possibility of a rematch was all the motivation they needed Tuesday afternoon.
Just as their Green Bay, Wisc., namesakes won the Super Bowl earlier in the year, the Packers of Craig’s Doak Walker fifth- and sixth-grade league took the top honor of their conference.

When it comes to the Moffat County High School boys varsity soccer team, health makes all the difference, head coach Rusty Cox said.
Cox’s philosophy was proven accurate Tuesday as the Bulldogs defeated Glenwood Springs High School, 4-3, at Loudy-Simpson Park.
The MCHS victory came just 10 days after the Bulldogs lost 3-1 at Glenwood, a game in which the team was down multiple players due to injury and sickness.

As the clock dwindled down Monday at Moffat County High School, the Hayden High School junior varsity football team attempted to run one last play.
The Tigers ran the ball up the middle, a play they had been attempting the entire game.
The MCHS junior varsity defensive line closed the gaps and tackled the Hayden back for no gain.

The Craig City Council discussed Tuesday a draft amendment to the Yampa River System Legacy Partnership that would expand the scope of the project and allow the partnership to seek additional federal funding.
If the draft amendment is signed by the city and other municipalities, the Legacy Partnership would be able to petition for grant money from the recently created America’s Great Outdoor initiative in addition to funding from Great Outdoors Colorado.

Moffat County could have a slight increase in funds in 2012, according to a proposed budget presentation made Tuesday before the county commission.
Moffat County budget analyst Tinneal Gerber said work on the 2012 budget began in June, keeping in mind Moffat County’s ideals for the future including a balanced regulatory environment, a strong, energy-based economy and effective and efficient government.
The proposed budget tops out at $73,120,762, which is $2.58 million, or 4 percent, higher than in 2011.

Who’s most responsible for student achievement: teachers and parents, or students?
How does a school district continue to pay for important programs when funding is tight?
Moffat County School Board candidates grappled with these questions during a forum Tuesday at the Moffat County High School auditorium.

The Moffat County Tourism Association Board did not have a quorum at its regular monthly meeting Monday and did not take action on agenda items.
But, MCTA Director Melody Villard announced one of MCTA’s board members had resigned.
Vicki Wade, who works in the sales administration department for the Holiday Inn of Craig, submitted her resignation Monday morning via email.

(AP) — Tim Tebow didn't win the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback job as much as Kyle Orton lost it.
Regardless, Tebow has ditched his cap and clipboard and is now the starring attraction in Denver.
Coach John Fox made the switch official Tuesday, announcing Tebow will start against the Miami Dolphins when the Broncos return from their bye week.

(AP) — Republicans told a Denver District Court judge on Tuesday that Democrats are trying to undo electoral gains made by about 1.5 million voters over the past decade by moving them into new congressional districts.
Democrats countered that Colorado has changed since the state's seven districts were drawn up a decade ago and that new districts are needed.
Both parties made their opening arguments before Judge Robert S. Hyatt, who will draw a new map required every 10 years following the U.S. Census. Colorado's Legislature failed to do so in its spring session.

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — Presidential challenger Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama of failing to lead in a time of economic peril but sounded less conservative than his Republican rivals in their debate Tuesday night, defending the 2008-2009 Wall Street bailout and declaring he could work with "good" Democrats.
Romney also gave one of his most spirited defenses of his health care initiative when he was Massachusetts governor, legislation that Obama has called a partial blueprint for his own national overhaul. By positioning himself closer to the political center on several points, Romney sought to underscore his claim that he can draw crucial independent voters in next year's general election.

The Golden Cavvy, 538 Yampa Ave., will host its second annual fundraiser for Christmas for Kids on Saturday.
The event will feature community members as “celebrity servers” from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.

8 to 10 a.m. The Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership Small Business Resource Fair takes place at the Moffat County Fairgrounds Pavilion. The event features free resources to make your business stronger. Call Darcy Owens-Trask at 826-2039.
10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership hosts an economic update featuring economist Carl Steidtmann and state demographer Elizabeth Garner at the Moffat County Fairgrounds Pavilion. Steidtmann and Garner will give presentations on what’s next for the local, state and national economies. The cost is $15 and includes lunch. Call Darcy Owens-Trask at 826-2039.

To the editor:
We are a month away from celebrating and honoring our veterans and now’s a good time for a reminder about making sure flags flying are in good condition.
Remembering and honoring those who have served and continue to serve our country and protect our rights means making sure the flags are flown in a manner of respect and honor of our veterans and our country.

Craig and Moffat County’s economy can grow and diversify.
Or, it can stagnate and eventually wither.
Which of these scenarios plays out depends largely on what you — the resident who lives and works here — know about the local economy.

Conditions aren't likely to be too dull for you in the next year, when it comes to your career. All kinds of exciting and unexpected happenings could be in the offing, and how you respond to events could either make or break you.

Community meetings slated for this week to discuss branch closings

Of 71 post offices slated for closure in Colorado, 61 are located in the predominately rural Third and Fourth U.S. Congressional Districts.
Included in those potential closings, which total 3,653 across the country, are post offices in Maybell and Hamilton.

Throwing around the old horsehide seems simple enough when you watch the pros do it on TV. But, for every pitch that hits the mitt, numbers go up and down for both teams, and the process goes on and on until the bottom of the ninth.
Hardly anybody would consider calculating the figures afterward to be entertaining, but “Moneyball” is all about making something big out of many miniscule integers.

Rattlers win streak at 16 after rout of No. 3 Buckaroos

Mike Bates thought No. 3-ranked Kaycee would pose a serious threat to his Little Snake River Valley School Rattlers' 16-game winning streak.
Instead, the defending champs took a 33-0 first-quarter lead and the Buckaroos never threatened LSRV in a chilly 66-6 rout Friday in Baggs.
“Just when I thought we got a little better, we get a lot better,” Bates said. “If we're not as good as we're going to get, it's going to be a little scary in the playoffs. I don't think we are.”
Despite nose tackle Jacob Ready playing at 80 to 90 percent because of an illness, the Rattlers (6-0, 2-0 Six-man South) limited Kaycee’s offense.

Sandrock Ridge Care and Rehabilitation Center, a Craig facility, received a clean bill of health during its annual quality indicator survey last week.
Representatives from the Colorado Department of Health who conducted the survey found no deficiencies or issues that need attention at the rehabilitation center, “which is really rare,” administrator Jonathan Marks said.
The survey is required for state accreditation and is conducted at nursing homes across Colorado every year. It examines every element of a nursing home’s operations, from the temperature in its refrigerator to its residents’ medicinal regimens.

Red and Linda Cortner will again give pumpkins to area youths next week.
In Craig, youths may get a free pumpkin beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday at Homemaker Furnishings, 468 Ranney St. Last year, pumpkins were all distributed by about 11:30 a.m., Red said.
In Baggs, Wyo., children may get a pumpkin at Little Snake River Valley School on Thursday.

Monday, October 10

Now that the players and coaches of the eighth- and seventh-grade volleyball teams have seen what they’ll be facing in the district tournament, they can adjust accordingly.
CMS volleyball finished its regular season Oct. 8 in Steamboat with mostly positive results. While the eighth-grade A-team lost 2-0, the B-team won by the same numbers, and both seventh-grade A- and B-teams each came out ahead, 2-1.

Saturday marked the end of another season of Craig Middle School football.
And, although the seventh-and eighth-grade teams didn’t remain undefeated this fall, the skills they have gained will carry on to next year and beyond.
CMS football ended its season with a pair of losses to Steamboat Springs. The eighth-grade team fell 33-18, while the seventh-graders suffered a slim defeat of 14-12.

The Craig Concert Association’s season-opening show Sunday night drew 550 to 600 people to Moffat County High School’s auditorium.
Street Corner Symphony, a six-man a cappella band that placed second on the NBC musical competition “The Sing-Off,” performed versions of songs by artists from the 1960s — The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival — to the 1980s — Tears for Fears, Dexys Midnight Runners — and beyond, such as Radiohead and Train.

The Northwest Colorado Community Health Partnership has won the first Colorado Collaboration Award for its work to develop a regional network of care for the underinsured and uninsured in Moffat, Routt, Rio Blanco and Jackson counties, according to a news release.
“We are so thrilled to be recognized by Colorado Nonprofit Association and its partnering foundations. This is a wonderful affirmation of five years of work as a community partnership.
“The award will go a long way in helping us continue the work of improving the lives of residents in Northwest Colorado,” said Diane Miller, director of clinical and quality services at the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association.

It’s 9 a.m. Thursday morning, and Marie Kettle is on the move.
She emerges swiftly from a pair of double doors, then quickly disappears behind them again, pausing briefly to explain that it will be just another minute before she’s able to sit down and talk about the next stage of her career.
Kettle didn’t expect to be busy Thursday morning, but this is the emergency room at The Memorial Hospital in Craig, where the unexpected and the urgent take precedence.

Old man winter reappeared Thursday, dusting Craig and Moffat County with less than an inch of snow.
The first snow prompted some to wonder what the coming winter had in store this year for the community.
According to a news release issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center in Camp Springs, Md., the Northern Hemisphere is about to experience a unique climate event — back-to-back La Nina episodes.

“I started working here this summer, in May, so it’s been about five months. I like working here because I get to see everybody and visit with people from around town. I think we see more locals than out-of-towners. A lot of people like the location and we’ve got the gas thing with City Market, and a majority of people come for their discount.
“I’ve lived in Craig for about 30 years. I was born in southeast Colorado and my family moved me here when my dad came up here to work. I think fate kept me here. This is kind of a new journey in my life, being single, being alone, not having kids around.

Moffat County High School’s Homecoming weekend was welcoming to visitors to the varsity volleyball team’s floor.
The MCHS Bulldogs dropped Friday and Saturday conference matches to Palisade and Delta, losing 3-0 in each.
Friday’s match with Palisade (12-4 overall, 7-1 Western Slope league) started out promising for the home team, which battled the visiting squad to a narrow 26-24 loss in the first game.

The recent closing of an institution that has been in Craig for decades has affected many people, but a fellow business in the same field is working on straightening out the process.
Craig Chiropractic Clinic, which closed Sept. 30, has transferred its patient files to the office of Whole Body Alignment, 820 W. Victory Way.
Dr. Carolyn Gochee said she will be assisting former patients of Craig Chiropractic.

Well, frost is on the pumpkins and everywhere else.
When I was a child, I asked my mom one day, why are the windows covered up that way?
She said Jack Frost came last night and painted us some pictures as he went by. I got to where I would look for pictures painted by Jack Frost. Sparkly trees and lawns, windows, car hoods … they were all icy looking.

(AP) — Once again, the crowd chanted "Tebow! Tebow!" as the Denver Broncos trudged off the field in defeat Sunday.
Only this time, the fans were imploring coach John Fox to keep Tim Tebow under center after the Broncos lost to San Diego 29-24 despite Tebow's best efforts to rally Denver from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Tebow ran for a touchdown and threw for another after replacing Kyle Orton to start the third quarter, and had one final shot for the win before his pass fell incomplete in the end zone on the final play.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Terrified by Alabama's strict new immigration crackdown, parents living in the state illegally say they are doing something that was unthinkable just days ago — asking friends, relatives, co-workers and acquaintances to take their children if they're arrested or deported.
Many illegal immigrants signed documents in the past week allowing others to care for their children if needed, assistance groups say, and a couple living illegally in nearby Shelby County extracted a promise from the man's boss to send their three young children — all U.S. citizens — to Mexico should they be jailed under the law.

(AP) — Colorado's top political parties go to court this week to pitch their changes for the state's congressional landscape — a process that could affect 2012 races in three districts now held by Republicans.
Starting Tuesday, Denver's District Court will hear arguments on the redistricting process required every 10 years to reflect updated Census statistics. The court will have about a half dozen maps to consider in a trial expected to last two weeks.

4 p.m. The Moffat County High School junior varsity football team plays Hayden High School at MCHS, 900 Finley Lane.
5:15 p.m. Doak Walker tackle football playoff games take place at Woodbury Sports Complex, 350 Mack Lane.

Many state offices are closed today in observance of Columbus Day.
12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Apostolic Lighthouse Church, 3107 W. First St., hosts Moms’ Monday. Local mothers can bring their children and lunch to the church to enjoy fellowship while children play. Call 824-2496 or 629-0176.

The pick-up time for Bountiful Baskets has been moved to 11:45 a.m. Saturday.
Orders are accepted from noon today through 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at www.bountifulbaskets.org.
For more information about the food program, call Coleen Fenton at 824-9638.

Establishing multiple ambitious objectives will come easy for you in the year ahead, and you stand a good chance of realizing many of your aims. But you'll have to be careful not to take on more than you can handle.

Saturday, October 8

We spend money for vacations, eating out, entertainment and other pleasures.
But have you ever noticed that some of the greatest pleasures in life don’t cost anything at all?
Take the fall season, for example. Spending outdoors on a sunny, warm day in surroundings alive with color can provide plenty of enjoyable experiences.

Spencer Hebert furrowed his brow as he tried to think of a name for the vessel at his feet.
“It has to have something to do with sinking,” said Hebert, a Moffat County High School junior, looking at the craft made of cardboard and duct tape as it waited on the shore of the pond at Loudy-Simpson Park.
Hebert, along with Katlyn and Nicole Sollenberger, also juniors, made the boat for the sixth cardboard boat regatta Friday, an annual competition in which students make boats out of cardboard, duct tape and little else.

Pamela Gardner said she decided she would become a teacher.
She was 6 years old at the time.
After school let out, she would set up her own pretend classroom in the family’s garage and then “coerced the neighborhood kids to be my students,” said Gardner, who now lives in Craig.

The air was chilly Friday night at the Bulldog Proving Grounds.
But, a visiting team whose name suggested a warmer climate managed to heat up the scoreboard in Moffat County High School’s Homecoming game.
The MCHS varsity football team lost 34-14 in its matchup against the Glenwood Springs Demons, 2-4 overall, 1-2 in the Western Slope League.

A Moffat County rancher accused of violating state cattle statutes is scheduled to be arraigned in the Moffat County combined courts Tuesday.
Monty Luke Pilgrim, 51, of Little Snake River, is suspected of being in possession of 36 cows belonging to nine area ranchers. His is also accused of misbranding 31 calves as his own.
Formal charges were filed in Moffat County District Court on Tuesday, according to court records.

An attorney for a local man allegedly involved in a vehicle theft and crash said he could enter a not guilty plea for his client Tuesday in Moffat County Court.
Attorney Doug Timmerman represents Jarod Bays, 25, of Craig.
Authorities allege Bays and two other local residents –– Alicia Colvin, 31, and Joseph A. Galvan, 20 –– stole a 2001 Lexus from the driveway of Craig residents Joel and Janet Sheridan, and later crashed the vehicle at the corner of Barclay and 10th streets.

This week’s recipes were sent in by Patty Nicodemus, of Craig.
The first one is special. It’s “Grandma Osborn’s berry-marble cobbler.” Grandma Osborn was Patty’s grandma, and she was my grandma, too.
Patty said that she was visiting Grandma one day when Grandma cut the cobbler recipe out of the “Capper’s Weekly” and made the cobbler.

(AP) — Federal health authorities say a nationwide outbreak of listeria in Colorado cantaloupes is now responsible for 21 deaths and the number may continue to grow.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported new deaths in Indiana and New York. The CDC also confirmed a death in Wyoming that state officials reported last week. CDC said 109 people have been sickened in the outbreak — including the 21 dead — in 23 states from California to the East Coast.
The agency previously reported five deaths in Colorado, five in New Mexico, two in Texas, two in Kansas and one each in Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. CDC said it is also aware of one miscarriage associated with the outbreak.

(AP) — Elvis Dumervil was supposed to be the self-professed ‘Batman’ to rookie Von Miller’s ‘Robin’ as a pass-rushing duo for the Denver Broncos.
But Dumervil’s superpowers as a top-tier NFL pass rusher have been largely zapped by a nagging shoulder injury that has forced him to miss two games and play part-time in another.
“I’d rather it happen now than later,” said Dumervil, who has one total tackle, plus a quarterback hit on Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers last Sunday, in abbreviated action this season.

(AP) — When waves as high as 40 feet disabled the 94-foot research vessel Jeremy Parfait and nine other oil workers were on in the Gulf of Mexico last month, he knew there was only one place they could go — into the water.
Their boat, which normally would be elevated above the water by several metal legs, had toppled in the tropical storm and was floating helplessly, beaten by waves and wind. The 10 men jumped into the Gulf and clung to a 6-foot-by-3-foot raft.
"We know we don't want to go in that water. I can see it in their eyes. They are scared to death. They don't want to go in that water. I don't want to go in that water," said Parfait, the boat's captain.

A training on concussion management is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 24 in the Craig Middle School auditorium, 915 Yampa Ave.
The training will focus on a multi-disciplinary approach to concussion management.
Light snacks and child care will be provided.

It’s no secret — Craig and Moffat County is a small community. As such, there are limited offerings in some areas.
One of those is cultural opportunities that enrich the lives of our residents and provide an entertaining outlet.
That’s where the Craig Concert Association comes in.

Certain factors or elements that will pass your way in the coming months and that are meaningless to others could be great contributors to your success. Watch for the unusual, discarded and forgotten to provide some tasty opportunities.

Friday, October 7

The Moffat County High School speech and debate team will moderate a question-and-answer forum with this year’s Moffat County School Board candidates next week.
The event, hosted by the Moffat County Education Association, is open to the public and will take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the MCHS auditorium, 900 Finley Lane.
MCEA President David Grabowski said this is an opportunity for the public to meet its candidates.

The Moffat County High School auditorium was packed Thursday morning as students, staff and parents waited to see who would become the school’s 2011 Homecoming royalty.
The public will get a chance to see members of this year’s royal court when they are introduced before the Homecoming football game, which takes place at 7 p.m. tonight and pits the Bulldogs against the Glenwood Springs Demons at MCHS, 900 Finley Lane.

For a child who gravitates toward the printed word, reading 15 minutes every night isn’t a high order.
But what if your child doesn’t like to read? How do you get him or her to crack a book without making it a detested chore?
A series of family literacy nights at Craig elementary schools may have the answer.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association announced Tuesday its intention to purchase a 272-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant in Fort Lupton.
Tri-State, a not-for-profit wholesale power supplier headquartered in Westminster, will acquire 100 percent of the equity interests from the Thermo Cogeneration Partnership (TCP).
Tri-State spokesman Jim Van Someren said TCP is a subsidiary company that owns the assets and manages contracts on behalf of Starwood Energy Group based in Greenwich, Conn.

(AP) — Federal prosecutors have launched a crackdown on some pot dispensaries in California, warning the stores that they must shut down in 45 days or face criminal charges and confiscation of their property even if they are operating legally under the state's 15-year-old medical marijuana law.
In an escalation of the ongoing conflict between the U.S. government and the nation's burgeoning medical marijuana industry, at least 16 pot shops or their landlords received letters this week stating they are violating federal drug laws, even though medical marijuana is legal in California. The state's four U.S. attorneys were scheduled Friday to announce a broader coordinated crackdown.

(AP) — The Denver Broncos are in such a tight spot at tight end they're converting offensive linemen.
Only to be used in a pinch, of course, and mostly in blocking situations.
After all, the last thing quarterback Kyle Orton wants to do is rifle a pass downfield to tackle Chris Clark or guard Russ Hochstein. Orton has seen their pass-catching skills in practice and even if they're clearly wide open, he'll think twice about letting it fly.

During my working years, I used to run for exercise before dawn. My misery at the early hour faded as I chugged past homes with open drapes and lighted interiors.
Sleep-mussed people yawning in their kitchens didn’t interest me, but their homes did.
As I passed lit windows, I slowed, stifled my heavy breathing to prevent 911 calls, and looked for indications of the lives the inhabitants led: a piano heaped with music, a weaver’s loom, shelves of books, trophy animal heads, beer steins on a windowsill.

9 to 11 a.m. Playgroup for toddler/preschool-age children takes place at the Early Childhood Development Preschool at the Moffat County School District administrative building, 775 Yampa Ave. Call Carissa at 826-9742.
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Yampa Valley Hens and Chicks, a chapter of the Farmgirl Sisterhood, meets at St. Michael Catholic Church, 678 School St., with a potluck lunch. Take a pumpkin recipe to share. Call Susan Domer at 824-6436.

Change happens. Yes, the morning air has become crisp, and the leaves have changed and are falling from the tree in my backyard in greater amounts each day. There are some changes that occur that none of us can control.
Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a time and season for everything under the sun.
I encourage you to read that chapter today. I know people in our community that have entered a season that was unexpected and they had no control over just as I cannot stop the leaves from falling from the tree. It is a fact of life that there are some changes that are beyond our control.

Hunter sight-ins are scheduled for October and November at the Bears Ears Sportsman Club Cedar Mountain Range, on Moffat County Road 7 about five miles north of Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply.
Sight-ins are set for Thursday and Oct. 14 (first season), Oct. 20 and 21 (second season), Nov. 3 and 4 (third season), and Nov. 14 and 15 (fourth season).
The range opens at 9 a.m.

It was the typical scene Wednesday night on Victory Way — cars and trucks headed westbound, carrying home commuters or drivers on a long trip just passing through.
Then, the crowd appeared, a group of about 30 people moving down the street together. All carried small, flickering lights. All wore purple ribbons.
At the back of the procession, two young men held a banner.
It read, “There’s No Excuse for Abuse.”
They were a noticeable group, breaking the rhythm of the familiar and the predictable.
And, that was the point.

While homecoming brings in bigger crowds and more festivities, for Moffat County High School varsity football coaches, it brings another challenge in preparation.
“It is tough to keep the kids focused,” head coach Kip Hafey said. “There are always so many distractions going on, we have to make sure the kids are focused on Friday night and not what to wear the next day.”
The Bulldogs are playing Glenwood Springs High School in the their 2011 homecoming game.
The game is set to kick off at 7 p.m.
Hafey said home games always add another level of excitement, but he and the coaches need to make sure the excitement translates to success.
“We have to make sure they are not just excited, but enthusiastic throughout the game,” he said. “If it is just excitement, it will wear off after the first couple of plays. If they are enthusiastic, they can have that level of intensity throughout the game and not have a let down.”

Another week, another familiar foe for the Little Snake River Valley School’s six-man varsity football team.
Last week, the Rattlers played at Hanna-Elk Mountain High School, a rematch of the 2010 1A Wyoming State Championship game. LSRV won, 52-0.
On Friday, the Rattlers welcome Kaycee High School, the team LSRV beat in the semifinals of last year’s playoffs.
The LSRV homecoming game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
“(Kaycee) was in the state championship game in our first year in 2009, but last year they ended up with fourth place and had to play us in the second round,” head coach Mike Bates said. “They thought if they could play us at home or on a neutral site they could take us, but I begged to differ.”

Do all that you can to get out and move around as much as possible in the year ahead. The more exposure you get, the more people you'll meet who can become good friends. It behooves you to establish as many contacts as you can.

Hunter sight-ins are scheduled for October and November at the Bears Ears Sportsman Club Cedar Mountain Range, on Moffat County Road 7 about five miles north of Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply.
Sight-ins are set for Oct. 13 and 14 (first season), Oct. 20 and 21 (second season), Nov. 3 and 4 (third season), and Nov. 14 and 15 (fourth season). The range opens at 9 a.m.

A respected national economist is scheduled to speak about the economy during a event next week in Craig.
Dr. Carl Steidtmann, chief economist and director of consumer business at New York City-based Deloitte Research, will be talking about what’s on the economy’s horizon as the keynote speaker during the Craig/Moffat Economic Development Partnership’s Economic Update & Small Business Resource Fair.
The event will take place Oct. 12 at the Moffat County Fairgrounds Pavilion.

The Moffat County Commission did not convene for its regular meeting Tuesday.
Erin Miller, an administrative assistant to the commission, drafts the commission’s agenda on Fridays. She said no one notified her of an action item for this week’s meeting, and the commissioners decided to cancel the meeting.

There’s plenty of music, a parade, lots of sports and a sprinkling of other activities on tap this weekend. Cheer on the Bulldogs and don’t miss a huge concert for our neck of the woods.
■ It’s a big deal when a second-place finisher on a national TV show hits Craig.
Street Corner Symphony, which was the runner up on NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” performs here at 7 p.m. Sunday at Moffat County High School, 900 Finley Lane, thanks to the Craig Concert Association.

Using one word, Karra Juergens summarized why she came to the Taste of Home Cooking School on Monday night.
“The recipes,” said Juergens, of Craig.
“I have two boys, so they’re always hungry, so … it’s nice to have something different for them.”

(AP) — Xcel Energy Inc. and the Boulder Smart Energy Coalition have spent about $471,000 to persuade voters in Boulder not to create a municipal utility.
Xcel had been seeking an agreement for Boulder to get its electricity from the company, but talks broke down this summer. The city's voters will decide in November whether Boulder should have the authority to form its own utility.

(AP) — Willis McGahee is still beating the odds as he approaches his 30th birthday.
The big, ninth-year tailback who's known as much for overcoming injuries as he is for barreling through defenses has ascended to the top of Denver's depth chart.
After serving as Ray Rice's backup in Baltimore the last two seasons, McGahee signed a free agent contract in Denver in August because he wanted to be a part of coach John Fox's blueprint and to reunite with running backs coach Eric Studesville, whom he worked with in Buffalo.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Democrat Earl Ray Tomblin edged a Republican newcomer in West Virginia's special election for governor, suggesting the state's recent economic gains mattered more to voters here than an unpopular sitting president of the same party — barely. But the barrage of attack ads targeting Tomblin, the acting governor, likely tightened his race with businessman Bill Maloney in the final weeks.
Maloney and his GOP backers sought to make it a Republican upset by invoking the unpopular President Barack Obama. But the Mountain State's improving financial health helped Tomblin while the negativity in the GOP attack ads turned off some voters. Tomblin also ran attack ads during the campaign.

The Bella Voce Show Chorus presents its Masquerade Diva Dinner at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Moffat County Fairgrounds Pavilion.
The event includes dinner, a dessert bar and a cabaret-style show, followed by dancing. Costumes are optional.

Today is National Walk (or Bike) to School Day. Visit www.walktoschool.org.
10:30 a.m. The Aging Well Program, a program of the Northwest Colorado Visiting Northwest Colorado, hosts Wellness Wednesday for older adults at The Journey at First Baptist, 1150 W. Ninth St. Arthritis Foundation exercise is at 10:30 a.m., and lunch is at 11:30 a.m. Lunch is $3. Hayden resident Judy Green will discuss the recent historic designation of the Solandt Hospital building at noon. Senior wellness and foot checks and Colorado Northwestern Community College classes also are available. Call 871-7676.

To the editor:
As a family, words cannot express how grateful we are to those who reached out to us in our time of loss.
First, to God for giving us the strength to get through each day.
To Owen Grant and Judy Bingham, thank you for going the extra mile. You are clearly using the talent God gave you.

Certain groups or individuals who have never been lucky for you previously might prove to be so in coming months, in more ways than one. Treat everyone with consideration, because you never know who will be doing you a favor.

Johnny Landa had an important decision to make heading into his junior year at Moffat County High School in 2010.
Torn between two sports, both of which he was good at, Landa said he enjoyed playing soccer and competing in long-distance running.
Landa could have stayed with soccer, a sport he has been playing since he was 5 years old in Craig Parks and Recreation leagues, or concentrate on his distance running career in cross-country.
After talking to MCHS soccer coach Rusty Cox and MCHS cross-country and track coach Todd Trapp, Landa decided to compete in both.

Colorado Sen. Jean White was at work Monday morning — although not where you might expect. Instead of debating on the Senate floor or sitting in a committee meeting, the freshman senator from Hayden was taking in the scene at the Moffat County Early Childhood Center.

Sept. 20 not only marked the end of the Moffat County High School boys varsity golf season, but it also signaled the end of a 31-year era.
As the MCHS golfers trotted off the Rifle Creek Golf Course after the 4A Western Regional tournament, they were headed off as the last group to play under head coach Ken Harjes.
After 31 years coaching, Harjes will not return to the team in 2012.
“I have coached for many years and I was getting tired of the travel,” Harjes said. “It had nothing to do with the kids or the parents. Because of them I wanted to keep doing it. I just decided it was time.”

Bella Voce Show Chorus presents its Masquerade Diva Dinner at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Moffat County Fairgrounds Pavilion.
The event includes dinner, a dessert bar and a cabaret-style show followed by dancing. Costumes are optional.
Tickets are $40 per person or $25 for students 25 and younger.

By being methodical and organized, your probabilities for achieving success in the year ahead could be better than usual. Try to focus on where your greatest potential lies and move less meaningful objectives to the bottom of your list.

Remember when your mother could clean the entire house, sew your Halloween costume and still have dinner ready at 7 p.m.? Throw in a relentlessly taxing office job on top of that and more than likely, she’d be able to cope, leaving you to say, “I Don’t Know How She Does It.”
The demands of a career in high finance are intense enough for Bostonian Kate Reddy (Sarah Jessica Parker), but coupled with the needs of her family, the juggling act can sometimes be too much to take.

Susan Whinery recently asked a group of 15 Moffat County Alternative School students to raise their hands if they’d ever applied for a job.
Nearly every hand went up, she said.
But, of that group, only two students were employed, she added.
Skills for Success is a program designed to address that issue by teaching students what they need to thrive in and outside the workplace.
“The program is designed to get kids better prepared to enter the workplace,” Whinery said, adding that the program also teaches life skills.

Cool Water Grille, 337 W. Victory Way, first opened its doors for hungry patrons Sept. 23.
The restaurant, open from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., offers hearty breakfast favorites such as sausage, bacon, ham, omelets and pancakes, as well as a lunch menu with burgers, sandwiches and salads.

After their first win of the season in their most recent game, coach Kip Hafey and the Moffat County High School varsity football team were ready to gain another victory in their effort to reach the playoffs.
But, a road game against Palisade proved to be too much for the Bulldogs.
MCHS lost 38-20 in a Saturday afternoon game. Moffat County’s defeat puts its overall record at 1-4, 1-1 in the Western Slope League.

On Dec. 11, 1966, a Sunday, 13-year-old Ted Myers was rabbit hunting on his family’s ranch off Colorado Highway 317 near Hamilton when he happened upon a unique discovery.
He hurried home and phoned the residence of Hayden Valley Press photographer Nick DeLuca.
But, DeLuca wasn’t home.

(AP) — A Democrat seeking a congressional seat in one of Colorado's most conservative districts might be expected to find other plans when President Barack Obama visits.
But when the president pitched his jobs plan at a Denver high school last week, Brandon Shaffer of Longmont talked up his excitement about the event, even tweeting jokes about what shoes his children would wear.
Run from a president with lackluster approval ratings? Hardly. Like other Democrats in Colorado, Shaffer argued it's Washington, not Obama, that has voters disgruntled.

(AP) — The recent listeria outbreak from cantaloupe demonstrates one likely cause of large-scale occurrences of serious illnesses linked to tainted food: the long and winding road what we eat takes from farm to fork.
A cantaloupe grown on a Colorado field may make four or five stops before it reaches the dinner table. There's the packing house where it is cleaned and packaged, then the distributor who contracts with retailers to sell the melons in large quantities. A processor may cut or bag the fruit. The retail distribution center is where the melons are sent out to various stores. Finally it's stacked on display at the grocery store.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Even with the game well out of hand, it wasn't Tim Tebow time for the Denver Broncos.
Not yet, anyway.
While some fans in Denver would like to see more of the Broncos' backup quarterback, coach John Fox stuck with starter Kyle Orton for nearly all of the Broncos' ugly 49-23 loss at Green Bay on Sunday.

October has arrived with its beautiful colors of autumn. Colorado is in bloom in its array of golden leaves in various shades of the color.
Of course, other parts of the country also have their autumn colors, all beautiful in their own way.

Sara L. Arguello, a 1999 Moffat County High School graduate, graduated with a medical degree in May from the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. She is now employed by UNM Hospitals in Albuquerque, N.M.

12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Apostolic Lighthouse Church, 3107 W. First St., hosts Moms’ Monday. Local mothers can bring their children and lunch to the church to enjoy fellowship while children play. Call 824-2496 or 629-0176.
3:30 p.m. The Moffat County High School freshmen football team plays Palisade High School at MCHS, 900 Finley Lane.
5 p.m. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4265 hosts its free senior citizen dinner at the VFW, 419 E. Victory Way. The dinner includes spaghetti, salad and dessert. Call 824-7145.

To the editor:
The Humane Society of Moffat County would like the thank the following individuals for their support the past couple of months: the Parrot and Arce families for fostering; Rene Morris and Curt Bibb for the food donations and foster care; and Joni and Leonard Zaragoza for the silent auction donation.

The Humane Society of Moffat County will offer reduced price pet adoptions during Second Chance Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Craig Animal Shelter, 2430 E. Victory Way.
To view shelter animals, visit www.petfinder.com or visit the shelter during business hours.
For more information, call Carol at 824-2103.

4 p.m. The Moffat County High School freshman football team plays Palisade High School at MCHS, 900 Finley Lane.
5:15 p.m. The Moffat County High School junior varsity football team plays Palisade High School at MCHS, 900 Finley Lane.

There are strong indications that the year ahead could be an extremely rewarding one for you both materially and socially. However, strive to lead a balanced life so that each area can develop in ways that complement one another.

Saturday, October 1

Sometimes I buy a box of large pasta shells and follow the directions on the pasta box to make stuffed shells.
The resulting dish is pasta shells filled with a meat/cheese mixture that was baked in a casserole with a spaghetti sauce in the bottom (and perhaps spooned over the shells).
Anyway, this week’s recipe is similar, except that the pasta shell filling is filled with vegetables.

L.D. Smith, Dinosaur town mayor, borrows a line from a famous movie when asked about the potential for a casino resort development in his small town.
“If you build it, they will come,” Smith said, echoing “Field of Dreams.” “Without a doubt.”
Sitting in the B & B Restaurant on the east end of town, Smith backs the casino idea because he said it would help the town and its residents, people who deserve good fortune.

Moments after the final bell rang Thursday afternoon at Moffat County High School, a dull roar reverberated through the rafters as students filled the lobby and streamed out the front doors.
But, Becca Pugh and a handful of other students stayed behind. Homecoming was less than a week away, and these MCHS student council members still had work to do.

Sambu Shrestha didn’t know if it was gold or pyrite he found on the banks of the Yampa River on Thursday afternoon.
But, in any case, he didn’t seem to care much.
“Shiny, shiny, shiny,” he yelled, rejoicing over his find.

Booking acts for the Craig Concert Association is something Julie Dempster has to do well in advance.
The timing has worked out well this year, with people in Craig and across the nation getting a chance to hear the star performers at the start of the 2011-2012 season.
The Nashville, Tenn., group Street Corner Symphony will kick off this year’s series with a concert Oct. 9 at the Moffat County High School auditorium, 900 Finley Lane. The six-man a cappella band rose to national prominence last year when they appeared on the NBC musical competition “The Sing-Off,” taking second place.

The rematch of the 2010 Wyoming 1A six-man state championship game Friday had a familiar feel for both teams involved.
The Little Snake River Valley School six-man varsity football team traveled Friday to take on Hanna-Elk Mountain High School.
The Rattlers won soundly last year, 67-12, to win the state title.

This story has information about two very different topics — Moffat County’s showing during the Junior Livestock Show at the Colorado State Fair, and a workshop on pressure canning meats.
First of all, the workshop will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Routt County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall Kitchen, 398 Poplar St., in Hayden.

On behalf of all veterans, I wish to thank Craig Ford for their help in finding and helping us purchase a newer van to transport veterans to Grand Junction.
Jerry Thompson and Burl McMillen went above and beyond to help us get the best for our money and make sure the vehicle is in top condition for the many miles that will be put on it.

A game ending in a loss can be almost as worthwhile as a win, as long as it’s hard-fought.
Craig Middle School volleyball coach Michelle Henderson was pleased to see this lesson sink in for her players in their most recent game.
The eighth-grade A-team suffered a 2-1 loss during their final home game of the season against Little Snake River Valley School in Baggs, Wyo.

(AP) — Tweaked hamstring and all, Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey jumped a route Friday in practice and picked off a pass with one hand.
Granted, this was just a drill performed at half speed, with a fellow defensive back running the pattern and an assistant coach throwing the football.
To Bailey, that's at least a step in the right direction.

(AP) — The downturn in real estate at a time of high unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcies led to five Colorado bank failures this year that could cost the nation's deposit insurance fund about $1 billion, or about one-fifth of the fund's overall losses in 2011.
At least half a dozen more Colorado-based banks are under consent orders from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to keep their capital up, but they are being allowed to stay open.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — At the Washington-area mosque where Anwar al-Awlaki preached a decade ago, there were few tears over the death of the influential al-Qaida figure who more than anyone gave the Dar al-Hijrah Islamic Center its unwanted association with international terrorism. But some found the way he was killed to be un-American.
Most worshippers at Dar al-Hijrah for Friday services said they were glad that al-Awlaki was gone — that he besmirched not only their mosque but all of Islam by calling for the deaths of innocent Americans. Others rejected both al-Awlaki's calls for violence against Americans and the U.S. airstrike that killed him in Yemen early Friday, saying he hadn't even been charged with a crime. And a small few were unrepentant in their support of al-Awlaki, though most were unwilling have their names attached to their views.

Noon to 4 p.m. A silent auction to benefit Cindy Rudell Smith is at Victory Motors of Craig, 2705 W. First St. Items in the auction include a stained glass Bronco head, framed limited edition prints, a cordless drill, a flooring package, a golf package and gift certificates.
7 p.m. A magic show to benefit the Humane Society of Moffat County is at Moffat County High School, 900 Finley Lane. The show is indoors and will be held rain or shine.

When the economy takes a plunge, concepts like growth and sustainability often go by the wayside.
But, the time to plan for future possibilities — not to mention preserving the economic powerhouses that support Moffat County — isn’t sometime in the future.
The time to plan is now

Economists have a mythical figure called the misery index. It is the total of the unemployment rate added to the inflation rate.
This summer in the U.S., it’s running about 13.0.
The lower the better. In both the 90s and the 2000s, it’s been as low as 7.

To the editor:
We wanted the community to know how much we appreciated the second-grade classes of the Moffat County School District.
They exhibited excellent manners, politeness, and good behavior at Sheep Wagon Days.

Regardless of how much you enjoy having partners, you're likely to do better in independent operations in the year ahead than you will as part of a team. Make sure you move in circles where you can be free to make your own decisions.